Tales Of Maroon
by PAK
Summary: A series of one shots, all based on songs by Maroon 5. Shot 10: "Daylight" Gokudera finally comes home after three month away from Haru. Unfortunately, he won't be staying for long.
1. Tangled

Title: Tales of Maroon Fandom: Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

Main Characters: GokuderaxHaru

Song: "Tangled" from "Songs About Jane"

Standard Disclaimer Applied

A/N: (8/22/13) EDITED, BECAUSE HOLY COW DID MY GRAMMAR AND SPELLING SUCK WHEN I FIRST WROTE AND PUBLISHED THIS!

* * *

I'm full of regrets for all the things

That I've done and said

And I don't know if it'll ever be okay to show

My face around here

Sometimes I wonder if I disappear

Would you ever turn your head and look

See if I'm gone 'cause I fear

There is nothing left to say to you

That you wanna hear

That you wanna know

I think I should go

The things I've done are way too shameful

You're just an innocent

Helpless victim of a spider's web

And I'm an insect

Going after anything that I can get

So you better turn your head and run

And don't look back 'cause I fear

There is nothing left to say to you

That you wanna hear

That you wanna know

I think I should go

The things I've done are way too shameful

And I've done you so wrong

Treated you bad, strung you along

Oh, shame on myself

I don't know how I got so tangled up

Ohh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

You better turn your head and look

See if I'm gone 'cause I fear

There is nothing left to say to you

That you wanna hear

That you wanna know

I think I should go

The things I've done are way too shameful

And I've done you so wrong

And treated you bad, strung you along

Oh, shame on myself

I don't know how I got so tangled up

Strung you along

Oh, shame on myself

I don't know how I got so tangled up

They were at it again. Two in the morning, all the lights on, and their voices loud. Neither of them would give in, and they refused to end it without a winner. They both were stubborn, the urge to prove that they where right taking control. With no end in sight, Gokudera and Haru continue their fight.

"Why the fuck did you even do that in front of the tenth?" Gokudera loudly questioned, his voice filled with anger.

"Like I meant to! Do you think I enjoy having my swimsuit untie in front of a stranger, let alone Tsuna?" Haru snapped.

"You didn't seem to mind when he blushed!"

"Over my ass! Didn't you see me red from embarrassment?"

"You know what? I think you did it on purpose! You wanted to prove to me that you don't give a fuck about me! You wanted to show that you love Tsuna, and that I was some play thing you ended up marrying!"

Haru froze, her eyes growing wide. Then, with a burning fury they came back alive. Her nostrils flared, and her eyes held a crazed look.

"Do you really think that? Dammit Hayato! I don't think that! Why would I?" when Haru finished her sentence her face fell. Her eyes began to water and pool with tears.

Gokudera watched, frozen by the sudden change. Did it really hurt her that much, him accusing her of not loving him? A string pulled in his heart, telling him that he screwed up. Big time. Haru sniffled, then made her way out of the room, quickly running upstairs to their room. Gokudera followed her.

The door slammed shut, pictures on the wall shaking. The door locked, keeping out an unwanted guest. He walked to the door and knocked lightly. Silence followed but was broken by a loud sniffle.

Gokudera let out a sigh, and let his head fall against the door. He said the wrong thing, and he now knew it. What had he said it in the first place? Did he think that the ring on her finger meant that she thought he was the most beastly thing in the world and that he didn't deserve any love, let alone hers? Maybe that was true. Maybe he really didn't really deserve Haru's love. If he did he wouldn't have said otherwise.

He put his back to the door and slid down, as he suddenly felt tired. He was thinking now. Thinking of all the things that he had said and done to Haru. Why did hell she still stay with him? He didn't act liked he loved her, but when in reality he loved her so much. His love just kept growing, yet he never seemed able to show it. He hardly ever uttered that he loved her.

"Haru... Come out please." he asked, his voice tired.

The only response he was given came in the form of silence. He let out a sigh, and he let his head fall back. He didn't feel sorry for himself, he actually felt sorry for her. Where Haru told him that she loved him, he would only say it when it would benefit him. Was that love? When Haru would stay up late at night if only to make sure he it home safely, he would grunt at her then climb in bed to sleep. It was hard to believe that she wanted to stay with him.

He didn't think she deserved that. So he stood up and walked away from the door. His feet took him back downstairs where he looked for his car keys. Seeing the spot from which they hung, he quickly grabbed them and made his way to the front door. He would leave her, and let her try again. It seemed it was the only thing he could do right now to make up for what he did. He shut the front door behind him. The noise it made caused his heart to do a painful flip.

He hurriedly made his way into the car, and in his ruch he slammed the door louder than he should have . When he stuck in the key the engine came alive with a soft purr, and with a shift of the gears he began to drive away. He looked once he had pulled out of the driveway, and just as he about to drive away, he saw her standing in front of the window. She looked at him with a face of pure horror, and the sight of it made his heart pang painfully. But he reminded himself that he couldn't go back because he didn't deserve her. With one final, painful glance he drove off, heading to somewhere far away.

He ended up crashing at Yamamoto's that night, who quietly let him in and use the spare guest room. The swordsmen had a feeling that his friend didn't need his help yet, so without a word he left the Italian to his thoughts.

Gokudera noted that Yamamoto's wife was gone, as she was away for her own mission. But despite the lack of her presence, it still felt like she was there. Her love for Yamamoto, and vise versa, filled the house in every corner, and this feeling struck Gokudera like a knife. This feeling that filled the home needed the love of two people, not just one, and he certainly didn't remember his house feeling like this.

Gokudera sat heavily onto the bed, and let a tired breath. He did it to try and clear his head, but it had little affect. His heart just hurt too much, and it felt as if something was grabbing and throttling his heart. Why did he have to feel like this when he was only doing the right thing?

He fell back, letting his body lay across the soft bed. He wanted to clear his head for a moment, to stop thinking, but he wouldn't be that luckyHis thoughts strayed to Haru, and he wondered how she must be feeling at that moment. After all, he had seen her face out of the window when he left. The way that she looked at him almost reminded him of a child who helplessly watched as his mother and father walked away from each other, all along knowing that the two would never be together again. Except it wasn't a parent leaving the other. It was him that was leaving her.

'_Stop thinking like this_,' he thought. '_You're doing the right thing_'. But was that true? If he was doing the right thing, why did he feel so empty? Was he over-reacting? Should he just go back now while there was still a chance to fix it all? But what if couldn't be fixed? He shook his head, trying his hardest to stop thinking. He felt the intense need to smoke, but realized that in his haste to leave, he had accidentally left his pack at home.

Home. Home was where the heart was. His heart right now wanted to go back, back to the cool floors, the warm bed, the smile of Haru. But he just couldn't. Haru had to run away from him, and run like hell. It was obvious to him that he didn't have any right to her heart, and staying with him would only make her hurt more. He had to handle this pain, if only to save her from more heartache.

* * *

He didn't sleep at all that night, for he simply couldn't put his mind to rest. It kept pondering, kept thinking, kept coming up with various reasons as to why he should stay away. All the while, his heart heard all of the reasons, but it persistently kept aching. It still stung, still bled, and still continued to beat, which made him angry on so many levels. He could not stand the fact that he was weak enough to fall this easily. Wasn't he the Vongola Decimo's right-hand man? Didn't he prove to be strong time and time again? It just was not right for him to feel this weak and small.

While his mind still churned out thought after thought, his cell buzzed inside of his pocket, alerting of a call, so he slowly pulled it out. He was too tired to actually look at who was calling him, and he blindly pressed the answer button.

"Hello?" he asked tiredly.

"H-Hayato?" a female voice asked. It was Haru. His throat clenched up, and his heart began to beat faster. He wanted to say something, but his tongue became dry and simply wouldn't do as he said. Just when he thought he could muster out a reply, she spoke again.

"Hayato, please come home," she whispered softly into the phone. " The house just isn't the same without you. I'm sorry my top came off, I really am. But, please, can you just come home? I'm so lonesome..."

Gokudera listend to her. and the more she spoke, the more he felt a bubbling sensation in his gut. Before he knew it, he started to laugh, and it was so intense that his whole body shook shook.

"Hayato? Hayato, what's wrong?"

He wiped a tear from his eye, and opened his mouth to reply. His voice would sound hoarse, and that would worry her, but he didn't care at the moment. He couldn't hold back his joy.

"I'll be home in a minute, amor. I promise."

He quickly hung up his phone and got up from the bed. He rushed past Yamamoto who sat at the table watching the news as he drunk his morning cup of coffe. The stupid baseball head laughed when Gokudera nearly tripped on his own feet trying to get to the door. He was glad that he didn't have to help. He wouldn't be of any use without another cup of coffee.

Gokudera's car screeched a halt in front of the house. He hurriedly excited the vehicle and made his way inside. He all but ran into the living room, checking to see if she was in there. When he saw no sign of her, he rushed upstairs. When he made it to the door, he noticed that it was open. He stuck his head in and looked at the sight before him.

Haru lay in their bed, her folded hands resting on her stomach. She stared at the ceiling with such intensity, almost as if it had the answer to all the problems in the world. Her eyes were red-rimmed and her dark bangs covered her beautiful brown eyes. She looked so tired, and none too clean, but to Gokudera she looked like some fallen goddess.

He stepped forward from his place and made his way to her. He climbed into the bed next her, dipping the mattress so that she fell sideways. He lay down next to her, and reached over so that he could pull her closer to his chest. She closed his eyes, and so did he. Maybe it was the fact that neither slept well the night before, or the feeling that they were finally where they belong, but both peacefully drifted to sleep. But before the darkness could pull them under, Gokudera whispered something into Haru's ear.

"I love you."


	2. Misery

Title: Tales of Maroon

Fandom: Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

Main Characters: GokuderaxHaru

Song: "Misery" from "Hands All Over"

Standard Disclaimer Applied

A/N: (8/22/13) EDIT: SERIOUSLY THOUGH, HAD I NEVER HEARD OF A DICTIONARY WHEN I WROTE THIS? ALSO, THE ENDING HAS BEEN REWRITTEN, BECAUSE I NEVER LIKED IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!

* * *

Oh yeah

Oh yeah

So scared of breaking it

That you won't let it bend

And I wrote two hundred letters

I will never send

Sometimes these cuts are so much deeper than they seem

You'd rather cover up

I'd rather let them bleed

So let me be

And I'll set you free (Oh yeah)

I am in misery

There ain't nobody who can comfort me (Oh yeah)

Why won't you answer me?

The silence is slowly killing me (Oh yeah)

Girl, you really got me bad

You really got me bad

I'm gonna get you back

I'm gonna get you back

Your salty skin and how

It mixes in with mine

The way it feels to be

Completely intertwined

Not that I didn't care

It's that I didn't know

It's not what I didn't feel,

It's what I didn't show

So let me be

And I'll set you free

I am in misery

And there ain't nobody who can comfort me (Oh yeah)

Why won't you answer me?

The silence is slowly killing me (Oh yeah)

Girl, you really got me bad

You really got me bad

I'm gonna get you back

I'm gonna get you back

You say your faith is shaken

And you may be mistaken

To keep me wide awake and waiting for the sun

I'm desperate and confused

So far away from you

I'm getting there, I don't care where I have to run

Why do you do what you do to me, yeah?

Why won't you answer me, answer me, yeah?

Why do you do what you do to me, yeah?

Why won't you answer me, answer me, yeah?

I am in misery

There ain't nobody who can comfort me (Oh yeah)

Why won't you answer me?

The silence is slowly killing me (Oh yeah)

[3x]

Girl you really got me bad

You really got me bad

I'm gonna get you back

I'm gonna get you back

A week. A full fucking week had passed, and not once had Haru spoken to him him. The only sound he heard from her was her humming whenever he got close to her. With yet another exaggerated sigh, a wave of frustration hit. He really needed to exact some revenge. He needed to show her how much it sucked to be ignored by your significant other. But really, how was he going to do that? Because he had no fucking clue.

He currently sat in the main conference room of the Vongola base, sitting in his usual spot at the large wood table, the table that was able to sear all of the guardians with ease. He liked to come here when he had to think. It was a place built for great ideas after all, and the environment alone could potentially inspire him.

The door opened to reveal Takeshi Yamamoto and Tsunayoshi "Tsuna" Sawada. The two talked about the latest details of Kyoko's pregnancy, which was going along smoothly. Tsuna beamed with pride as he described the feeling of kicking inside her stomach. Neither realized that Gokudera was there until he let out a loud sigh.

"Gokudera-kun?" the Tenth exclaimed. His eyebrow raised and wrinkled with concern.

"Ha! Is Gokudera thinking about his latest screw-up?" Yamamoto teased, scratching the back of his head in a casual manner.

Gokudera shot the baseball freak a glare, but said nothing in return. Instead he combed his fingers through his hair as he started at the wood-paneled walls. Both Yamamoto and Tsuna took their seat, Tsuna at the head of the table with Gokudera at his right and Yamamoto to his left. Yamamoto smiled teasingly at Gokudera, while Tsuna wondered what the latest problem was.

"She's giving me the silent treatment," Gokudera eventually mumbled under his breath.

"Why?" asked Tsuna. Gokudera pulled his fingers free from his silver hair and slammed a fist against the table. The action didn't cause a stir in either Tsuna or Yamamto, who both just patiently waited for the dynamite expert to continue.

"I don't know! I mean, I know it's nothing that's really bad, but... Shit. I never thought I would say this, but I just can't stand her not talking. What is the purpose of it? Did I do something, or is she just being hormonal?" He let out a frustrated sigh, and this time let his head slam against the table. Tsuna shook his head.

"Think for a moment. Any important dates lately? Anniversary, birthdays, something special she might have been planning?" Tsuna questioned.

"Our anniversary was two months ago, her birthday is in three months... She hasn't been planning anything, and if she was her stupid planning books would be everywhere…. Dammit, why is she mad?" Gokudera asked with his voice muffled against the table.

"Maybe you called her stupid woman again?" Yamamoto suggested. Gokudera lifted his head to shoot him a dirty glare glare.

"I haven't called her that since the day before wedding. She threatened to not to participate in the honeymoon," he signed. Tsuna and Yamamoto chuckled.

"Alright, screw what I did," Gokudera resigned. "But how do I fucking fix it?"

The three began discussing various potential plans. They managed to come up with several ideas, but in the end all were rejected. Not even Tsuna could help Gokudera with this one, a thought that left him disheartened. Was he ever going to figure out a way to end the silent treatment? He was so busy wallowing in his own pity that he didn't notice Yamamoto perk up. The baseball freak had something that might work, because it seemed to help him out on numerous occasions.

"Jump her!" he suggested, his goofy smile ridiculously sincere.

Both Tsuna and Gokudera gave him a strange look.

"What kind of idiot would come up with such an idea?" growled Gokudera. "No man in their right mind would jump a woman, whether she's married or not." Yamamoto shook his head, as Gokudera just didn't seem to get it.

"I did it once. When she's mad, and I'm talking really mad, you do everything you can to maker her want you. You know. In the mushy kind of way. Easy, right?"

"Did it work for you?" Tsuna asked. Yamamoto nodded.

Gokudera sighed. It might work. After all, what other option did he have?

"I'll try it."

* * *

Gokudera kept twitched, and he couldn't stop his fingers from drumming against the counter. Haru hummed while washing the dishes, acting as if she was completely oblivious to his presence. He really had to giver her credit though. She was doing a really good job at whatever it was she was doing. That and fighting could very well be her greatest talents.

Not that she should be proud of it, though, at least if you asked him.

With one final tap against the counter, he took the first steps towards Haru. He walked close to her until his chest bumped into her back, lowering his head so that it hovered near the sensitive skin behind her ear. For her part, Haru didn't seem to notice, and she continued to hum away as if he wasn't there. Slowly wrapped his hand until it firmly grasped her hips, his fingers curling around that part of her body. She froze, but she still continued to hum. He breathed lightly against her neck, and place light and feathering kisses on the cream white skin in front of him. It was at that moment that she froze completely, and her humming finally stopped. He smiled at his first sign of victory.

"Haru..." he breathed into her ear, which sent a slight shiver through her body.

"H-Hahi! Yes?" she breathed. Ha! She was talking now! Things could only go uphill from here.

"Why is that you stopped talking to me, amor?" he asked, adding the 'amor' to really lay it in thick.

"Because..." she began, but then stopped when his hand began to rub up and down along her side. They did that for a few moments more before his hand lowered and slipped up her sweater. He let his hands gently touch the skin beneath his fingers.

"Well?" he prompted.

"Well," she began. " You just..." she paused once more, and let out a breath.

Seeing that she needed some more encouragement, he twisted her body around until she faced him. He kissed her forehead, all the while snaking his hands around her so that they rubbed her back. Now that she faced him, he lowered his head so that his lips could lightly kiss her eyelids, then her nose, then her jaw, and eventually her lower lip. Just when he was about to kiss her, he abrubtly changed course and let his lips rest on her neck. He gently bit the soft skin, which caused her to jump slightly and squeak.

"You didn't seem like you wanted to be home last week!" she blurted out, her eyes hooded and her cheeks lightly flushed.

Gokudera wrinkled his brow, because he really didn't believe that was the reason for her tantrum. Deciding that she needed more encouragement, he pulled her closer and gently suckled her neck.

"I don't believe that... amor," he said, lifting his head so that he spoke into her ear. Haru closed her eyes, and her breath quivered. Gokudera smirked, thinking that he had finally done it.

Which is why he was so shocked when Haru put her hands up to his chest and pushing him away. Her eyes, which were just looking at him hungrily a moment earlier, now glared at him with the type fury only a woman could muster.

"Oh, I don't know, Gokudera. Maybe I'm mad because you only touch me when you want something, you asshole!" Haru said through clenched teeth. With a big huff, she stormed out of the kitchen, leaving Gokudera to stand there in a state of shock. '_Shit_,' Gokudera thought. It looked Yamamoto's advice had dug him into an even deeper hole.

* * *

He didn't know how she did it, but her silent treatment seemed to get worse after the incident in the kitchen. At times it felt like Gokudera was living alone all over again, and that was a feeling that wasn't to fond of.

He needed to fix his mistake, and pronto. He tried several different things to try and sway her. Cakes, surprise kisses, asking if she needed anything. But she looked at the cake with disgust (which shocked him very much), her lips stayed stone cold, and she utterly ignored him when he talked to her.

The way she was treating him started to take its toll. He couldn't sleep very well with her far on the other side of the bed. Eating dinner left him feeling anxious because of the complete silence, and coming home after a hard day's work only to be greeted by no one left him feeling more then lonely. It left him feeling miserable.

Eventually, Gokudera all but snapped. He decided that starting today this little act would end. He was going to show her that he needed her more than she thought, even if he didn't need anything from her.

He sat at the kitchen table, and watching as made herself a cup of tea. The steam rose up high and she breathed it in, letting out a happy sigh. She breezed past him into the living room, where she sat comfortable in one of the big chairs to flip through the magazine. She still hummed softly, as if she had no care in the world.

Making up his mind, he stood up from the chair. With a super human resolve, he walking into the living room and stood right in front of her. She ignored him completely, apparently finding an article on cakes more interesting them him. He swiftly grabbed the magazine from her hands, and her head shot up so that she could glare at him.

"Hahi! Gokudera, what are you doing?" she snapped.

"Haru," he growled into her ear. " I swear to god, if you keep up this act, I'm going to do something really fucking stupid."

Haru raised her eyebrows at him, and she gave him a doubtful look. "Really? Like what?"

"For starters," he began. "I'll make sure to find every god forsaken costume you still own and burn them all. Then I'll take all those stupid pictures you took of yourself last summer and give them Tsuna, or something. But that's not all! If none of that works, you know what I'm gonna do?"

"What?" Haru asked hesitantly.

"I'm going to throw you over my shoulder, carry you upstairs, and not let you leave our bedroom until I say so."

When he finished saying what he wanted to say, he let out a breath and looked at her intensely. She examined his face, then smirked.

"What are you smiling at?" Gokudera all but growled.

"Have you ever heard of the phrase, 'absence makes the heart grow fonder', Gokudera?" she asked him. He nodded in confirmation, but also signaling for her to go on. "I hate to tell you this, honey, but you've been awfully busy lately. All you seem to do is work, then come home and work some more.

"I don't like it when you do that," she said with a small pout. "So I talked to Chrome-chan and she suggested that I remind you of what you're missing."

Gokudera looked at Haru, feeling slightly dumbfounded. "Let me get this straight… You did all of this because you were feeling neglected?"

"Not neglected, per se. Just… Well, I can't think of a better word, but I'm sure you understand what I'm saying, right?" she said, taking his hand into hers. Gokudera smiled slightly, then pulled her up from her spot on her chair.

Wrapping his arm around her waist, he said, "I guess I'll just have to find what I've been missing, won't I?"

Haru grinned as she pulled him closer. She reminded herself that she ought to thank Chrome-chan in the future, because she certainly gave her some good advice.


	3. Never Gonna Leave This Bed

Title: Tales of Maroon

Fandom: Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

Main Characters: GokuderaxHaru 5986

Song: "Never Gonna Leave This Bed" from "Hands All Over"

Standard Disclaimer Applied

A/N (8-23-13) EDITS: I'M REALLY STARTING TO WONDER WHAT WAS RUNNING THROUGH MY HEAD WHEN I WROTE THIS. DID I NOT UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF EDITING?

* * *

You push me

I don't have the strength to

Resist or control you

So take me down, take me down

You hurt me

But do I deserve this?

You make me so nervous

Calm me down, calm me down

Wake you up

In the middle of the night to say

I will never walk away again

I'm never gonna leave this bed

So come here

And never leave this place

Perfection of your face

Slows me down, slows me down

So fall down

I need you to trust me

Go easy, don't rush me

Help me out, why don't you help me out?

Wake you up

In the middle of the night to say

I will never walk away again

I'm never gonna leave this bed

So you say go, it isn't workin'

And I say no, it isn't perfect

So I stay instead

I'm never gonna leave this bed

Take it, take it all, take all that I have

I'd give it all away just to get you back

And fake it, fake it, I'll take what I can get

Knocking so loud, can you hear me yet?

Try to stay awake, but you can't forget

Wake you up

In the middle of the night to say

I will never walk away again

I'm never gonna leave this bed

You say go, it isn't workin'

And I say no, it isn't perfect

So I stay instead

I'm never gonna leave this bed

Take it, take it all, take all that I have

Take it, take it all, take all that I have

Take it, take it all, take all that I have

Take it, take it all, take all that I have

Take it, take it all, take all that I have

Take it, take it all, take all that I have

Take it, take it all, take all that I have

She absolutely refused to be left alone again on his next trip Italy. She said that their house was haunted when he wasn't there (although, as a man of science, he told her that wasn't true), and if he left her home alone one more time, she would change her last name permanently through legal means of separation. He didn't listened to her then, yet at that very moment she was snoring lightly next to him in a plane. Tenth didn't seem to mind the extra passenger, but Hayato couldn't help but worry that he had inconvenienced the Boss. None the less, Haru made her self at home rather quickly and fell asleep almost as soon as they lifted off. This didn't bother him too much, because it meant that he didn't have to listen to her voice nag him most of the trip.

But then again, her voice was one of the reasons he was in this mess, that and her ridiculous ability to affect him better than any other women ever could. Because at the end of the day, he just wasn't man enough to tell his wife no.

He didn't want her to come to Italy with them. He made that _very clear_ when her hand began to wonder in places it shouldn't during a serious conversation. Nor should her lips have grazed a few certain places when he tried to speak with finality. But the look she gave him when he gripped her hands and snapped that he didn't want her to come to Italy was what really did him in. She had bit her trembling lip, and her eyes glazed over with salty tears.

He couldn't stop her when she got up from his lap, and the sound of her slamming rang in his ears long after she had left. That, and the angry, sad scream that came from their bedroom. He almost rolled his eyes at the way she decided to show her emotions, but that would mean that he thought she was childish.

His seat groaned when he lifted himself up from his chair. He left the room he was in, then made his way to their bedroom door. As he stood there, he listened for any sign of movement. When he could make out nothing, he knocked. A groan of frustration was heard on the other side, a sound he only normally heard when she tried to put her jeans on during that cursed time of the month.

"Haru, can you open the door?" he asked, using a gentle tone of voice as to not rub her the wrong way.

"No way in hell, asshole."

Well, so much for that approach "Come on! Haru, you can't do this to me."

"I can do whatever I damn well feel like," she growled, and even through the door he could tell that she was picking at her nails in frustration.

"I have my reasons for not taking you to Italy," he explained.

"Name one."

"One. I go there for work, not fun. You think I enjoy leaving you home alone all the time?"

"Sure seems like it. Even when you're home all you say to me is, 'Haru, ugh, I'm tired. Go away.', and then you sleep while you're here. But it's not long before you leave again!" she seethed through the window.

He paused before answering. "You know that's not true."

"No Hayato. It is true, and it's exactly why I want to go with you. At least I'll know when you wake up in the morning, and I just might give me a kiss good morning." she said the end of her sentence so quietly he almost didn't hear her through the door.

"Let me get this straight. You want me to take you half-way around the world so that you can get a fucking kiss every morning?"

She didn't say anything for a little bit. He thought that she might have gotten up and went into the master bathroom until he heard a sniffle.

"You don't get it. You really don't," she told him, her voice shaking. He started desperately and the door, letting his arm lay against the barrier for support.

"I do get it, Haru."

"No! You really don't!" she said with force. He heard her stand up, but he still almost fell over when she suddenly opened the door. She stared at him with a fire in her chocolate brown eyes. "You don't get anything when it comes to us. "All you seem to focus on is Tsuna, the Mafia, and your stupid pride! Why in the hell can't you ever see that what I really want from you is something other then a touch? I want damn conversations, Hayato! I want to talk to you about stupid things, and how annoying it is making sure this damn house stays clean and pretty for when you show up. I want to talk about why the sun sets fucking red, and I want to tell you that you should really stop smoking!" she stepped closer to him, trying to shove him and intimidate him. All id really did was force him to notice how tiny she was compared to him.

"But you don't seem to get that! When you're home, the only thing I seem to be useful at is being at your beck and call, and when you leave again, I'm left here all alone! There is no one here! Kyoko always goes with you guys, but god forbid I get to do the same!"

Haru looked up at him now, and the fire that was there now looked like a cold shadow. She was shaking, and she looked so sad that Gokudera really began to wonder if there was more to it then what she let on. Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around her, and she began to shake more violently. He thought they were going to stand like that for some time, but she pushed him away and walked back into the room with a resounding slam of the door. The lock clicked shortly after.

"You can sleep in you damn study tonight, you heartless bastard."

* * *

The leather couch was really starting to tick him off. Not only did it seem to get a sick satisfaction from making him uncomfortable, it was also too small for his frame, and he had to let his legs hang uncomfortably over the edge. The room also seemed to be doing everything it could to piss him off. The clock he had, which he normally liked, just wouldn't stop its insanely annoying ticking sound. The wood paneling, which normally was a warm cherry-oak color, was cold and dead.

But what was really keeping him awake (other then not having a pillow and blanket) was every single word Haru had said to him earlier. He hadn't realized that this is what she thought of him. He could understand her being troubled by how often he was away, but he never thought about how she must have felt being all alone.

God, he didn't realize he could be such a dick. No wonder Haru was so insistent on coming with him. If he had to stay one place all the time with no choice, you could be damned sure he would fight against it, kicking and screaming.

But this isn't about what he would do. It was about Haru. He knew he could defend himself if anything were to happen. Hell, people most wouldn't mess with him because of his reputation. But Haru was different. As he had realized earlier, she was ridiculously small and defenseless. If he wasn't around when something happened, then he could potentially lose her forever. She had no experience in a fight, no real sturdy knowledge when it came to weapons (at least that ones could be used on for another man), and she was just too kind to do anything that could really hurt someone.

But was it better to put her in physical danger with him, or leave her alone to wallow in her own misery?

With a slur of profanities, he scrambled off of the couch, banging his knees against a small circular table. He walked across the room to open the door, which allowed a chilled burst of air to hit his face. It woke him up a bit and cleared his mind of some of its sleepiness. His steps creaked a little as he walked down the old hallway, the carpet rug cushioning the noise just enough. Stopping at the door, Gokudera jiggled the knob to see if it would open. Much to he chagrin, it was still locked.

He grumbled to himself as he worked the lock open and pushed the door to reveal their bedroom. There was a lump in the bed, positioned in a fetal position and the faintest sound of a snore. Gokudera walked to the side of the bed and looked down on Haru's sleeping form. She looked heavenly, her skin having a pale glow to it, but her eyes were a little puffy and her brow knitted together even in slumber.

Gokudera just stood there for a little bit of time, his mouth in twisted in a grimace. Should he...?

He gulped down a long breath before he shook Haru's shoulder. He shook until one brown eye opened and looked up at him. He stopped his shaking and stood there as she started at him some more, then looked at the door that had once been locked. She glared at him now, and when she at last spoke, her voice sounded tired and husky.

"What the hell do you want?" she asked him/

"..."

"I want to go back to sleep so can you-"

Haru was cut off when Gokudera kneeled down beside her and put his arms around her the best he could from such an awkward angle. At first she didn't move, seemingly shocked by his actions, but she slowly but surely pulled her arms from the covers and tried to pry his arms away from her.

"Go away." she said.

"Nope. Can't do that, Haru." he whispered.

"Yes you can. It's really easy to walk out a door. You do so often, it should be second nature by now," she snidely remarked, although her efforts to push him away lessened. She also didn't say anything when he swung a leg over to the other side of her and climbed on to the bed. He held her closer now, his nose resting in her collarbone.

"Get of me."

"I'm not leaving this bed, Haru. I'm not gonna leave you either." he told her. She didn't move, but her felt her jaw tighten.

"You're just saying that so you don't have to sleep on the couch."

"Trust me Haru. I'm not. Although that fucking couch helped me figure some things out."

She sniffed, then hesitantly asked, "Like?"

"Well, to put one of them lightly, am I really such an asshole?" he asked her, looking up at her face. He was momentarily caught off guard by how lovely it look.

"Most of the time," she answered softly.

"Huh... Well, I have a question for you. Do know why I don't want you to come with me to Italy?"

She didn't respond right away and she chewed on her bottom lip. "No, I don't," she answered honestly.

"Tch. Is it that hard to figure out? What if something happened? I don't think you really realize this, but Haru. I work in the mafia. There are people who hate the Vongola with a fucking passion. They will do anything to get at someone important, even if they have to kill a few people. That includes you." Gokudera said.

"I," Haru began in a meek voice, "didn't realize that's how things worked."

"But it is, and as much as it might suck, I know that if you're here, there are people who can protect you and you'll be out of the eye of the storm."

With the how serious the conversation was, Gokudera was a little shocked when Haru let out a giggle. He stared at her, open mouthed, while she giggled some more.

"I'm sorry," she told him between giggles. "But you said the eye of the storm. Your flame is storm, right?" she said, smiling up at him while she run her fingers in his silver hair. He grinned down at her and fell to his sides.

"Can we fall asleep now?" he mumbled as he worked his way underneath the covers, his legs getting tangled.

"After you go put some actually bed clothes on. Those pants can't be very comfortable to sleep in."

"I guess I can go change, but on one condition."

"What?"

"You have to come to Italy with me."

Haru looked at him for a second, her mouth making a cute 'o' shape "Why? I thought you didn't want me to go."

"Well, the eye of the storm is were you wanna be when a storm hits, ain't it?

She looked at him, then smiled a great big smile. "I guess I'll have to follow the storm, won't I?" she said, closing her eyes and snuggling closer to him. It wasn't long before she had fallen asleep in the arms of her own personal storm.


	4. Back At Your Door

Title: Tales of Maroon

Fandom: Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

Main Characters: GokuderaxHaru 5986, side character of Ryohei

Song: "Back At Your Door" from the album "It Won't Be Soon Before Long"

A/N (8-23-13) EDITS: I SHOULD REALLY STOP WRITING THIS EDIT THING IN CAPS. UNFORTUNATELY, I CAN'T STOP FREAKING OUT OVER MY SENTENCE FLUENCY!

* * *

From the moment the lights went off

Everything had changed

Lie awake in an empty room

In my head it all feels the same

Like the taste of the day you left

That still lingers on my breath

And the dampness of tears that left

A stain where you had wept

All alone with the negligee

That still hangs off of my bed

I keep meaning to give it away

But I just leave it there instead

No need to cry about it

I cannot live without it

Every time I wind up back at your door

Why do you do this to me?

You penetrate right through me

Every time I wind up back at your door

3 more days 'til I see your face

I'm afraid it's far too much

Cook a meal and fix up the place

Dial your number, hang it up

If I took you for granted

I apologize for acting tough

You're my reason for living

And there's no way I'm giving up, oh

Don't need to cry about it

I cannot live without it

Every time I wind up back at your door

Why do you do this to me?

You penetrate right through me

Every time I wind up back at your door

Now every evening is a bitter fight

And I'm eating home alone on a Friday night

I know what your friends say

"You're just wasting your love and time"

I will never let you change your mind

No need to cry about it

I cannot live without it

Every time I wind up back at your door

Why do you do this to me?

You penetrate right through me

Every time I wind up back at your door

No need to cry about it

I may just die without it

Every time I wind up back at your door

Why do you do this to me?

You penetrate right through me

Every time I wind up back at your door

Every time I wind up back at your door

Every time I wind up back at your door

* * *

Waking up in the morning seem to take forever, yet move so quickly at the same time. This thought was one that Gokudera had every morning when he shut his alarm off. He turned on his bedside lamp, and the light cast its rays throughout the whole room, and suddenly he could see everything.

His eyes, as blood-shot as they were, noticed every little change, and to him it was a parallel world. His eyes looked over to the pillow beside him, and although it was now dry, he knew that it had once been wet with tears. Wet with stupid tears from a woman that once wore the negligee on the floor. Why hadn't he put that someplace else? It not like Haru ever intended to come back for it...

Haru. Just the image of her cheerful face in his mind made his heart beat a little faster. The mere thought, let alone sight of her was enough to turn him into a bumbling idiot.

But she had said she needed some time apart from him. That she needed to just get away from him. So, she made a promise.

"Just... Give me three days, Hayato. Three days. I'll come back then."

Although he wouldn't say it, those words hurt him more then any torture in hell he could ever experience. But he let her go, and stood there watching her as she packed up her things and walked out the door. She looked backed before she shut the door, her brown eyes looking at him sadly. When the 'click' of the door finally reached his ears, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to feel. He just knew that it almost physically hurt him.

He ended the night (a Friday night might he add) alone, cooking himself a dinner (he had to throw away the other half he accidentally cooked), then covered his body in blankets in hope of shielding himself from the world.

He was snapped out of his revere by the ringing of his phone, that annoying ringtone playing loudly. He craned his neck to see who it might be, and when the name 'Ryohei' appeared he let out an annoyed groan.

"What?" he answered.

"Can you explain to me why Haru is staying at my place?" Ryohei asked with his usual gruff voice.

"... What?" Gokudera asked, sitting up in his bed. "Since when did this happen?"

"Since Kyoko called me saying you two had gotten into another fight."

"We didn't get in a fight.," Gokudera was quick to clarify. "We just had a... Slight disagreement."

Ryohei paused before saying, "If that's what you say. But you should hear Kyoko. She's swearing up and down that you two shouldn't even be trying anymore. According to her, Haru is wasting her time."

"Haru is not wasting her time!" he snapped, his fist clenching the sheets. Ryohei was silent on the other line for a minute, his calm breath the only noise Gokudera could hear.

"Can I get your side of the story?" said Ryohei, breaking the silence. "I can't help fix anything if I don't know what happened."

Gokudera said nothing as he crawled out of bed. He scratched his stomach, grunted, then walked out of the bedroom towards the kitchen.

"Wow, Hayato. I'm startin' to see why she left. All you do is grunt," Ryohei teased, which agitated Gokudera. With a frown on his face he opened the refrigerator and grabbed the carton of milk.

"I might grunt less if I wasn't just waking up," Gokudera told him before guzzling the milk. Ryohei had never seemed more patient as he waited for Gokudera to start. He set the carton down, and with a disgruntled sigh, began his story.

"I can't just... Tell you what happened. Can you... dammit, I don't know where to start. Ask me some questions, for god's sake."

"When did it start?" the sun guardian offered.

"Thursday night."

"Why?"

"She says I don't act like I love her."

"Well," the man on the other line began. "You are extremely bad at letting people know how you feel."

"But that's just who I am!" Gokudera defended. "When have I ever gotten emotional?"

"You show emotion when it concerns the safety of Tsuna."

"That's different. I'm his right-hand man." Gokudera interjected.

"And she's the love of your life, isn't she?" Ryohei shot back.

"Yes, dammit! She is." he yelled, frustrated to his wits end.

"Then start showing it dumbass! For gods' sake, this isn't the first time this has happened Gokudera. Get your act together or else it'll be the last. Is that what you want?"

"Well, of course not. I love her for fucks sake."

"Do you act like?" Ryohei asked again.

Gokudera sighed once more before saying, "Back to round one, aren't we?"

"Of course we are, numb-nuts. This is the root of your problem after all. Now, do you act like you love her?"

"Yes, I do." Gokudera answered, and he wondered if that really needed to be asked. Of course he loved. How couldn't he?

"Really? When was the last time you told her she looked nice, or even beautiful."

"Uuuuuh..." He really racked his brain to find that answer, but it was like trying to remember the last time he had a saw a white horse. "I'm... I'm not sure."

"Strike one. Last time you took her out on a date?"

"Tch. You underestimate me. I think it was sometime in February."

"February? Not only is that extremely cheesy, but it was also four months ago. Not to mention you only took her on one date."

"Your point? She had a good time."

"Yeah, whatever. Strike two."

"What? But she had a good time!" Gokudera defended. She did tell him that she had a good time that night, whenever that time was.

"She probably had a good time since she doesn't have many other times to compare it too," Ryohei mumbled into the phone.

Gokudera stiffened out of annoyance, "How do you know?"

"'Cause she told me, jack-ass." Ryohei said with a voice that screamed 'you-are-officially-making-me-question-your-intell igence'.

"What are you now, a psychiatric? Has she barred her soul to you, or did she just have a good time bad-mouthin' me?"

"Not sure. I could barely understand her through all the tears," he said seriously. "But you wouldn't know that about that, now would you?"

That comment sobered up Gokudera, and he rewarded Ryohei with a stony silence. Ryohei ignored it, and ask the next question.

"Do you know when her birthday is?"

"May 3rd."

"Lookie there! You got one, and now you are running to first base. But will you get out? We don't know until you answer this next question." he said, his tone more than a tad mocking.

"Why do you so much like the baseball freak back in the old days?" questioned, laughing a little as a momentary feeling of nostalgia hit him. But the laughter soon faded, and he focused once more on the situation at hand. "Next question, before you distract me again."

"Not a very hard thing to do," Ryohei joked. Even through the phone, Gokudera knew that the other man was smiling. "Now, next question. When was the last time you actually told Haru that you loved her?"

Gokudera opened his mouth to respond, but stopped suddenly. He wasn't sure, but he might have told her the morning before their fight. But no, he couldn't possible have told her. He had been running late that morning and left only with a slammed door. But maybe the day before? No. He hadn't come home that day because of work. The same applied to the day before. 'Shit!' he thought. 'When was the last time I said 'I love you.' to Haru?'

"Strike three. You're out."

"I didn't even say anything." Gokudera said with a low voice, but he knew that there wasn't any point in arguing.

"You took too long to replay. You should have said, 'Right before she left'." He told him. "I think we just found your problem."

"So I don't tell her how I feel about her. I get that. But, I don't know how to fix it, Ryohei. That's the real problem," he said. He was supposed to be the smart one, yet for the life of him he wasn't able to think up a solution.

"When did she say that she was coming back?"

"In three days. So either Monday or Tuesday."

"Well, do something special then. Light a few candles. Do that 'make-love' thing you young people do these days," he said. "Just don't screw this up. I think she's really wondering if it might be time to end this," Ryohei stressed.

Gokudera was silent before he said what he was thinking. "What if she doesn't come back after three days?" he thought out loud, his voice shaking. 'Pathetic,' he thought.

"If there's one thing we know for sure about Haru, it's that if she says she's going to do something, she going to do it. So don't worry about that, and just focus on how your going to start being less of a dick. Got it?"

Gokudera nodded his head, "Got it.

* * *

He did call her a few times over the next three days, but he would quickly hang up each time. It was too nerve-racking listening to the ringing and his nerves simply couldn't handle it. He cleaned, but there weren't many things that needed any tidying up. Haru kept their apartment as clean as possible, even going so far as to get on the floor with a toothbrush every few months. Had he ever thanked her for her hard work? It was now another entry in a long record of his relationship crimes.

With now work over the weekend, Gokudera had very little work to do. He managed to stretch some of his reading out to last for two days, which left him with one day to plan for Haru's return. He really put a lot of effort into the planning, as he really considered it his last chance.

When the doorbell rang Monday night he was quick to answer. When he opened the door, Haru stood in front of him looking timid and dainty. The sight of her made his heart clenched on the inside. She looked at him with eyes that always sucked him in, their brown color taking his breath away. Such a deep, rich and warm color. He opened the door wide enough to let her in, and she wordlessly entered. She stopped when she saw the scene in front of her, her beautiful eyes widening.

"What is this?" she asked.

"Dinner."

Sitting on the small dining room table was of mushroom risotto, Italian sausage soup with tortellini, zuppa toscana, and cioppino with warm bread. He had even brought out his most prized bottle of red wine. Candle light warmed the room, making the room seem soft. Gokudera even his nicer clothes, a dark suit and Haru's favourite dark violet color.

"Why did you do this?" she asked him, her voice momentarily suspicious.

"I'm not able to show my appreciation towards someone I care about?" he asked, causally walking towards the dinner table, a hand over his heart as if he had been hurt.

"Not when I'm all icky and gross." she replied, taking a hesitant step closer into inside.

"What, you didn't shower over at Ryohei's?"

"I did. But that two days ago, so I don't feel clean," she said taking her coat off and hanging it on the coat hanger.

"You look beautiful," he said, looking at her with an intensity that made her stop. He quickly cleared his throat and looked away, leaving her cheeks with just the slightest hint of a pink blush.

"So what's with the fancy dinner?" she asked him.

"Uh... Well," her cleared his throat again. "I just figured that I could show you that, uhm, I... I missed you being around." he said, his hands in his pocket. A silence soon followed, which Haru was about to break when Gokudera spoke up again.

"Look, I know that I don't say it or show it enough, but Haru, I love you. I really do. I act tough, and I sometimes take my job to seriously. But none of that, none of it, doesn't mean that you aren't the love of my screwed up life," he looked at her still, and he walked towards her. "I talked to Ryohei the morning after you left, and the things that he said really helped me realize that maybe I should change a few things. Hell, I couldn't even remember the last time I had told you that I loved you. Do you know how sick that is? I should say it all the time, for Christ's sake."

Gokudera stood in front of her now, and he took his hands out of his pocket and placed them on her slight shoulders.

"Haru, if you're thinking about anything that could end this relationship then I swear it. I'm going to change your mind. I'll do whatever the hell it take to prove to you that I can-"

He never did finish what he had wanted to say, as Haru soon replaced the hand she had placed on his mouth with her lips. It shocked Gokudera at first, but he soon let the moment take him over. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and without any hesitation, he showed Haru how much he loved her.


	5. Give a Little More

Title: Tales of Maroon

Fandom: Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

Main Characters: Gokudera x Haru 5986,

Song: "Give a Little More" from the album "Hands All Over"

A/N: (8-23-13) EDITS: WHY DID I MAKE THIS STORY SO LONG? IT TAKES SO LONG TO EDIT! UUUURGH!

* * *

Now you've been bad, and it goes on and on and on

'til you come home babe, 'til you come home

You taste best, the poison I've learned to love is gone.

I'm all alone baby, I'm all alone

I'm waiting for something, always waiting

Feeling nothing, wondering if it'll ever change

And then I give a little more, oh babe ohhh

Give a little more, oh babe ohhh

I'm not falling in love with ya, I'm not falling in love

I'm not falling in love with ya, I'm not falling in love

'til I get a little more from you baby ohhh

Get a little more from you baby

You were wrong for turning me on and on and on

And on and on

You make it so hard

I'm waiting for something, always waiting

Feeling nothing, wondering if it'll ever change

And then I give a little more, oh babe ohhh

Give a little more, oh babe ohhh

I'm not falling in love with ya, I'm not falling in love

I'm not falling in love with ya, I'm not falling in love

'til I get a little more from you baby ohhh

Get a little more from you baby

I have no defense

I know you're gonna get me in the end

(gonna get me in the end)

And I cannot pretend

I never want to feel this way again ohhh

I'm not falling in love with ya, I'm not falling in love

I'm not falling in love with ya, I'm not falling in love

'til I get a little more from you baby ohhh

Get a little more from you baby

I'm not falling in love with ya, I'm not falling in love

I'm not falling in love with ya, I'm not falling in love

'til I get a little more from you baby ohhh

Get a little more from you baby

* * *

"Hayato, are you ready?" yelled Haru as she put on her earrings.

"Give me a minute!" he answered, tying his shoes into a perfect knot. Tonight was a special night for the Vongola family, and he would be damned if he didn't look presentable.

"Hayato, hurry up!" Haru yelled, grabbing her white lace shawl and wrapping it around her shoulders.

"I'm going as fast as I can, woman!" Did that knot look funny, or was it just him? No, the knot was just funny. He'd have to fix it again.

"Really, Hayato! We need to leave now!" Haru herself was already at the door, tapping her foot with impatience.

"I'm just tying my shoes, and then I have to put on my blazer. Cool it, okay? We aren't going to be late!"

"You said that last time, and we were fifteen minutes late! And you can not say it's "fashionably-late" this time!"

"Don't you know the meaning of 'wait'? Just 'cause you can become presentable within a few minutes, doesn't mean it's the same for me! So back off while I tie my damn shoes, got it?"

"Asshole," Haru murmured under her breath, grabbing her keys out of her purse. Hayato came down the stairs a minute later, his tie and shoelaces perfect.

"You know, I'm surprised you didn't end up gay, like Hibari." she told him, already walking out the door.

"That is an insult on so many levels. Watch your mouth next time." he warned, his face in a tight grimace.

"I'm just saying. I mean, you take longer to get ready then me. That just doesn't seem right," she said as he closed the door behind them and they walked to the car. He opened the car door for her and went around to the other side, keys now safely in his hands.

"Unlike some people, I'm not beautiful every minute of the day." he continues the conversation as he put the key into the ignition and turned the car on.

"Was that an off-handed compliment?" she asked as she settled into her seat.

"I don't know, was it?" he said as he pulled out of the long drive-way.

"Could have been," she said coolly. "But we never know with you, do we?"

It was times like this that she was cruel to him. She knew how he felt, yet she didn't seem to acknowledge it. It seemed like she enjoyed toying with him, playing with his emotions like some sort of game. It didn't matter how many times he said something to her, she never responded the way that would normally be expected of her personality. Of course, he was smarter than he looked. Although he did feel something (obviously something enough to want to marry her, especially those first few months), he wouldn't call it love. He refused to go that far off the deep end if she didn't seemed to be putting in as much as she got.

Within ten minutes, they arrived at the Vongola Mansion. It was a magnificently large building, and looking at it took your breath away. Trees and flowery bushes seemed small to the sheer size of the mansion, what with it being three stories high (not including the attic). Carved decorations covered nearly every surface of the building, the images ranging from gory to proud. A fountain sat in front of the mansion, and an angel and a demon held up the basin. The water sparkled from the warm yellow glow inside.

Gokudera, who was used to the glory of the mansion, was the first to step out of the car, and handing the valet his keys while opening Haru's door.

"Out," he said, while politely offering his hand. She took it, and stepped out, but then quickly let go of his hand to fix her powder blue dress.

"You're so charming, Hayato," she said, looking up at him with a hint of a smile.

"All a part of the marriage, sweet heart," he said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. He stuck his elbow out, offering it to her, and she accepted. He took the slip of paper from the valet for their car, and they both walked up the beige stone steps into the Vongola Mansion. When they reached the top, a man bowed low, his hand over his heart.

"Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Gokudera. You both shall sit with Vongola Decimo and the other guardians at the head table. Dinner will be served promptly at 9:30, but drinks are available whenever you might be thirsty. Dancing will be held at the center of the ballroom, which I trust you will be able to find Mr. Gokudera, and tonight we'll be featuring the Accedemia Filarmonica Romana orchestra from Rome. Please, enjoy the night." the man finished with a flourish of his hand into the building. Haru voiced her thanks, and Gokudera pulled her along the hallway into the large, golden ballroom. There were women in their long, flowing dresses, men in their fitted suites and slicked back hair. Everyone seemed to be mingling together, which created a pleasant atmosphere.

"Gokudera! Haru! There you guys are!" shouted the cheery Yamamoto, who was walking towards the with a glass of wine in hand. He smiled at them, and put his hand on Gokudera's shoulder. "I'm glad you ladies could make it. I was thinking maybe one of you broke a heel!" he joked, making Haru laugh and Gokudera glare.

"We would have been here sooner," Haru began. "But Hayato couldn't tie his shoes."

"Aah. Didn't they teach you to do that when you were in grade school, Gokudera?" Yamamoto teased, raising his eyebrows. Gokudera used his free hand to smack the rain guardian up-side the head.

"Shoudn't you be somewhere, dumbass?" he said as he began to walk away, Haru being pulled along with him. Yamamoto followed, looking a tad bit confused.

"I don't have anywhere important to be. Why?"

"Because I'm trying to get rid of you. You're annoying me."

"Hayato!" Haru exclaimed. "Be nice! Yamamoto-san is only being friendly. Maybe you should start taking after him and his manners? Goodness knows you could use it," she finished a huff. Yamamoto laughed.

"You heard the lady! Don't worry. I'll teach you right!" Yamamoto laughed, his hand messing up Gokudera's silver hair.

"Why you- Keep you hands to yourself!"

* * *

"Gokudera, Haru. Please, sit." said the Vongola Decimo, Tsuna Sawada. It was getting close to 9:30, and everyone had begun to look for their seat. The head table was a long, ornate, dark wood table that sat in front of all the round, guest tables. The Boss and Guardians all could be found at the head table, along with special guest like spouses, the Vongola Nono, and Reborn, the hitman baby sitting next to the elderly man.

"Hello, Tenth." Gokudera said, bowing with his hand over his heart. Tsuna handed him his hand, and Gokudera kissed the Vongola ring, as sign of respect to his boss.

"Hello, Tsuna-san." Haru said with a smile, bowing to show her regards.

"Hello you two. Now, again. Please have a seat," said Tsuna, his warm smile.

"Haru-chan!" a gentle voice called. Kyoko Sawada appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and when she stood beside her husband, they joined their hands almost naturally. They both smiled at each for a quick moment before Kyoko turned her attention back to Haru.

"Kyoko-chan!" Haru said, her voice happy. The two girls hugged (Kyoko still kept her hand connected to Tsuna's), and they began to prattle on about things, as women tend to do. Only when Tsuna reluctantly asked them to take their seats did they separate with another hug to retreat to their respected places. Gokudera took his place on the right side of his Boss, and Kyoko on his left. Tsuna took a breath before he raised is knife, and tapped it against his champagne glass as he stood up.

"May I have your attention, please?" he called out, and within seconds the large ballroom was all but silent. Before speaking, his eyes traveled his guest, and he smiled. "I would like to thank you all for coming this evening. My wife, Kyoko and I, would like to express our gratitude. But, tonight we shall all celebrate! Each and every one of you has been invited because you are close to the Vongola famigilia, and we can safely assume that you all would be happy to celebrate the Vongola legacy. On this day, many years ago, the Vongola famigilia established itself as a group of vigilantes. They fought to protect the weak, my ancestor, Giotto, and his guardians.

"Time has passed since then, and although we might have lived through a bit of bloodshed, we have once again found peace. We intend to keep that peace, not only by our own power, but by the help that you all lend us. Particularly we would like to thank the Chiavorone and Shimon families. Both of your families have not only been political help, but the guardians and myself have found you to also be good, true friends."

The guest all clapped, and some jeering when the two mention families stood up. Dino stood with dignity, with Romorio next to him, nodding to Tsuna before he sat down again. The Shimon family stood also, Enma smiling sheepishly with Adelheid, Shitt-P, Rauji, Koyo, Julie, and Kaoru standing with him. When the two families returned to their seats, the clapping eventually subsided. Tsuna chuckled to himself before continuing with his speech.

"Now, as many of you may know-"

Tsuna's speech continued, and he began to briefly explained the history of the Vongola famigilia, and a new collective pact between the Vongola and other families. Gokudera paid attention just fine, at least until Haru nudged him his side. He looked over, annoyed that she was taking his attention away during Tsuna's speech, but without looking, she handed him a small, folded piece of lavender-scented paper that she kept in her purse. Scrunching his eyes as he took it, he unfolded it and read her elegant (he was still left amazed over how quickly she learned to write so well) handwriting.

'Dance with me when dinner is done?'

He looked from the note to her, then once again to the note. When he lifted his hand, and she handed him a pen. He wrote his answer on his knee.

'Are you playing with me?'

Folding the paper back as it was, he gave it to her. She took it, but then soon handed it back.

'I don't play with my food'

Her answer puzzled him. Taking a second to think before he wrote his response, he eventually gave it back to her.

'Are you saying I'm your dinner?'

He heard her giggle, but he focused on the Tenth. She handed the paper back while Tsuna took a breath.

'Yep! Num num! You taste nummy! ^o^'

He didn't even think of replying, instead he rolled his eyes and shoved the paper into his pocket. Although she began to pout, she didn't write him another note, and she clapped happily when Tsuna finished his speech. There was a collective cheer when servants came out with dinner, bearing with them a wide variety of Italian foods. Silver and gold dishes made their way to the guest, and proudly displayed their wares.

"Haru-chan!" Kyoko called, leaning over so she could see her friend. "The food is made by Antonio Carluccio. Do you know him? I don't, but big brother said his food is extremely good. But what I'm really excited about is the cakes!"

"Really? Ooh, what's so special?" Haru asked, her eyes wide and excited. Kyoko smiled, and she leaned closer, her upper body completely over Tsuna. Haru did the same, and now the two girls were nearly nose to nose. Tsuna smiled, his eyes crinkling with laughter, but Gokudera was losing patience.

"Pierre Herme! He's even going to make his macaroons! I hear they're delicious!" she whispered excitedly.

"Really?" asked Haru in awe, her eyes growing even wider.

"Sorry to interrupt," Gokudera interrupted. "But you two are in the way." he said bluntly.

"Now, now Gokudera. That's not very polite." Tsuna said as Kyoko and Haru retreated back to their seat, Kyoko blushing lightly. Tsuna kissed her forehead and whispered something into her ear, and they both smiled. Gokudera on the other hand looked over at Haru and glared. She looked at him and gave him a glare of equal strength. After that, the dinner continued, and the macaroons were as good as promised.

* * *

The Accedemia Filarmonica Romana orchestra had began playing again after dinner had been declared finished. Dresses and polished shoes made their way around the dance floor, and diamonds and gold glittered in the light.

Gokudera sat at his dinner table seat, staring at these people. Haru had been asked by a "dashing young man" for a dance, and she seemed to have forgotten about her earlier request of him. Privately, to himself, he would admit that watching her dance with someone else made him so angry, and he could feel his storm flame come alive. But that was to himself. As far as everyone else was concerned, he might be a little aggravated (he couldn't totally hide his anger), but people wouldn't know that he was coming up with ideas to rid the world of that particular man.

"Hey, there, octopus!" someone shouted. It was Ryohei, who was walking towards Gokudera.

"What do you want lawn-head?"

"Looks to me like you're wantin' to tear that guy to shreds. What's going on there?" he asked, gesturing to Haru and the boy.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Now go away." said Gokudera. Ryohei ignored the request, instead placed himself in the seat that Haru had sat in during dinner.

"Really? 'Cause it sure looks like you know what I'm talking about." Ryohei stated.

Gokudera was silent for a little bit, because he was thinking that Ryohei would only continue to harass him if he did not answer.

"Fine," he said. "It's making me… angry over how she seems to be hanging off of him." He combed his fingers together and rested his chin on them, a sign that he was thinking intently.

"Only angry? Jeesh, if you don't like it, go take her away and dance. You're her husband after all. It wouldn't be too strange, ya know." Ryohei told him with crossed arms and a scowl. "Looks to me like you two have been going through something, and neither of you will admit it."

Gokudera looked at Ryohei, and he had a thought that he did not have often. That Sasagawa Ryohei was smarter then he let on. But then that stupid smile came back, and once again, Ryohei was grinning like an idiot. He shoved Gokudera towards the dance floor, that smile beaming.

"Go on! Don't act like an idiot."

"When did I start acting like you?" Gokudera scoffed.

"Aaaye. Be nice. I'm giving you some good advice, so take it with some damn manners, 'kay?" he joked, still smiling. Gokudera smirked at him, getting up and heading towards the dance floor.

Haru was dancing with a new gentleman now, and together they twirled around the floor. Gokudera walked up to them and grabbed the man's shoulder, all the while noting that there didn't seem anything special about his looks, then pulled Haru away from him. He cradled Haru's hand his own, then placed his own hand on her waist. She didn't miss a step (although she did look shocked to say the least) as they danced away from the man, who just stood there. Gokudera knew that the punk wouldn't object, given Gokudera's reputation.

"What are you doing?" Haru asked calmly, looking away from him.

"You wanted to dance after dinner," he told her smoothly, spinning her around then pulling her close.

"Yes, I did." she gasped, a little breathless after the twirl.

"Well, we're dancing like you wanted." he said, pulling her even closer and placing his hand on the small of her back.

So that's what they did. They danced, twirled, dipped. The two weave in-between the other couples, and although no one paid any special attention to them, it seemed as if the room was filled with kinetic electricity. No thanks to Lambo of course, who could be found at the snack bar, hounding Chrome with silly questions. Their breath tingled on the others skin. Their grips on the other hand grew tight. She pushed her hips closer to his, and a strange heat filled the air surrounding them. But, even thought there was so much obvious between the two going one, they did not look into each others eyes. Not once did Gokudera gaze into her brown eyes, and not once did Haru look into his green ones. Stubborn they both were, and stubborn they shall both forever be.

The night was drawing to an end though. The dancing slowly stopped as the guest all began to leave, including Gokudera and Haru. Tsuna wanted to say goodbye to all his guardians before he and Kyoko retired, so he called them into his study. Hibari didn't come, stating that he was wasting his time and was feeling tired. There was also a threat that if he didn't wake promptly at 6:45, he would be biting some people to death.

"Boy, that was some night, huh?" Tsuna joked with Yamamoto, who let out a loud yawn and blinked as if dazed.

"I thought it was nice, Boss." Chrome said timidly as she wrung her hands.

"Thank you, Chrome," Tsuna told her, smiling at the lone female guardian. "What about you, Lambo? Did you have fun or was it too stuffy for your age?" he asked.

"Oh, no, Big Brother Tsuna. I had fun! Some pretty ladies asked if I would dance, so I did, and I ate lots of food with Chrome," the teenager said quickly, who gestured excitedly.

"The pastries were lovely, weren't they Tsuna?" Kyoko chimed in from her seat next to Haru by the fireplace.

"Yes, yes they tasted good. We'll have to ask that Pierre Herme man to come again, won't we?" Tsuna offered.

"That would be a smart move, Tsuna-san!" piped in Haru. "His macaroons tasted as good as everyone said they would! His use of sugar is so refined, especially for a French man."

"I personally liked the steak," said Ryohei, who patted his stomach contently.

"What about that stew?" said Yamamoto. "It almost tasted like Indian curry."

"The stew was fine, but the steak was still extremely better.

"If you say so, senpai. But I liked that stew more."

"Will you two idiotic jocks stop blabbering about food already? You're getting on my damned nerves." snapped Gokudera.

"Gokudera," Tsuna chastised with a gentle warning tone. "You seemed to have forgotten that we are all friends here. Please reign in your temper."

Gokudera nodded, and bowed with his hand over his heart. "Yes, Tenth. I'm sorry."

"I think that's a sign that we should all be heading home now." Yamamoto said. He grabbed his sword from a wood-paneled cabinet and strapped it to his back. "My wife is probably getting worried over how late it is anyway. Wouldn't want to worry her."

"Why wasn't she here tonight, Yamamoto-san?" asked Haru.

"She wasn't feeling very good. She has a fever, but she kept insisting that I come tonight." he explained.

"I hope she gets better then." Kyoko said for them all.

After a few more minutes of chatter, everyone began to leave. It really was late now, and sleep seemed very important at the moment. When Gokudera got the car back from the valet, and after paying him a nice tip, he opened the door for Haru to get in. She brushed past him, her shoulder touching his chest just the slightest. He shut the door, and went to the other side, climbed into the driver seat, started the engine, and drove off.

"That was a lovely party tonight, don't you think?" Haru asked once they hit the road.

"It was," he said hastily.

"The music was well played."

"My thoughts exactly."

"Those macaroons also tasted heavenly."

"Depends on taste."

"You didn't like them?" she asked, turning her head to look at him. He quickly glanced at her, trying to keep his eyes on the road.

"They tasted fine. I just thought they might be a little dry is all."

"Oh," she started. "Well, I thought they were good..." she finished and looked down. He looked at her again, his brow dipped in slight worry.

"Spill it. What's the matter?"

"Nothing." she objected.

"Something is the matter. You can't hide that, Haru. We may not be the best fucking married couple, but I know you well enough to know when something is wrong. So tell me what it is."

"Alright, Hayato. Do you want to know what's the matter?" she said, still not looking at him. "Tonight, you did something. I don't know what it was, but I know that you made me feel fuzzy. Like I was walking on air or something."

"... What?"

She let out a sigh. "You made me feel different. When we danced, all I could think was that I didn't want that moment to end." She paused, almost hesitant to say anything more.

"Go on," he said.

"Well... Hayato, I think I realized something tonight, and honestly. I should have felt this before we even got married."

"What did you realize?" he asked, his fingers tight on the stirring wheel and his heart in his throat.

"That I, uhm... That I might..."

"That you what, Haru?" he asked again, his voice deep and ragged. To her, he sounded tired. Had she done that?

"That I love you." she whispered quietly. He heard her though, and he even realized that he was holding his breath. Without looking at her, he pulled their car over to the side of the road. She looked confused when he did that, her head swiveling back and forth. "Hayato, why did you pull over?" she asked.

"Because now I have to say something. I wanna look at you when I do it though," he said, turning the engine off. He turned around the best he could in his seat, and faced her straight on.

"What do you have to say?" she whispered, her heart now stuck in her throat.

He waited a moment to say anything, trying to gather his thoughts. He took a breath, and began, "Lately, I've been wondering why we don't have a normal marriage. It doesn't even seem as if we like each other half the time. But I realized why. It's because I'm trying my best. I tell you you're beautiful, I call when I'm away on missions, I kiss you goodnight. But it's you that treats this like a game. It's you that doesn't ever put in an effort."

She felt her eyes sting as she began imagining what he might say. How terrible it was, she thought, that once she realized that she loved this man, he would tell her that he didn't want he anymore.

"But... Haru. Even after all that, I thought that it might work still. You might see that I care. Or at least acknowledge it at the very least. Do you know that I tell myself I don't love you? And it was true. I wasn't going to love you if you didn't love me back. But now that you've said it... Haru?"

"Yes?" she answered, sniffling and looking away.

His hands reached out, and cupped her face. Bringing it close to his, he kissed her. Soft, gentle, yet strong. Strong enough that it shook her to her core, rattling her heart. She felt breathless, and light-headed, and like she was on cloud nine.

"I love you too," he said against her mouth, his voice brushing her face. She let out a choked sob, lifting her hand to run her fingers through his hair, then used the strands to pull him closer. She kissed him now, and he felt every ounce of the emotions she felt at that moment. Happy, joyous, scared, shocked, surprised, et cetra. He shifted his hands to her shoulders and drew her closer. They kissed with all that they had, a needy ache overcoming them both. That's what they did for several, immortal minutes, before they separated, paused, then made their way back home.

They slept close to each other that night, as a married couple ought to.


	6. If You Only Knew

Title: Tales of Maroon

Fandom: Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

Main Characters: GokuderaxHaru

Song: "If You Only Knew"

Standard Disclaimer Applied

A/N This is actually a song by Maroon 5 before they were Maroon 5. Towards the end of the 90's, they were Kara's Flower. The album kind of sunk, so a few years later they came out as Maroon 5, and with an extra bandmate, James Valentine (their guitarist). The song is pretty good so look it up, along with 'Control Myself' from the same album.

(8-23-13) EDITS: DON'T THINK I DIDN'T EDIT THIS JUST BECAUSE I LEFT THE EXPLANATION FOR THE SONG!

* * *

I wake up

Thoughts of you

Tattooed to my mind

As I wonder

What to wear

What to eat

Who to be

Will I see you again

And as my car breaks down

I shake my head and say

What a day

If you only knew

What I went through just to get to you

I'm hanging from you

And I'll hold on if you want me to

Every bus, every train,

Ever cab, every lane is jammed

So I looked to the sky

And I reached for the planes with my hands

If all my days go wrong

I'll think about last night

It went right

If you only knew

What I went through just to get to you

I'm hanging from you

And I'll hold on if you want me to

If you only knew

What I went through just to get to you

I'm swinging from you

And there's nothing I would rather do

* * *

Waking up in a college dorm was an everyday thing for Hayato Gokudera. Waking up and actually feeling excited, however, was not. He usually hated it when the sun woke him up in the morning. Studying into the late hours of the night was a part of life for him, as was making notes for the Tenth whenever he was away on mafia business. The daily life of college just left him exhausted, but last night had different. She had stayed with him while he worked on doing a memo for the Tenth on that day's class, bringing with her sunshine and laughter. It lifted him up, and his lips still tingled from her honeydew kisses.

He was looking forward to this day because of her. They had made plans to meet up at one of her favourite cake shops. She said there might be cakes there that he would be interested in, and he honestly believed her, because she was always right when it came to him. So, with a new resolve and vigor, he got up and got ready. He put his hair up (she liked it when she did that), and yanked his jacket over his shoulders. He left his dorm with a manly spring in his step, and an excited feeling bubbling in his chest.

Wait, he thought to himself, should he eat before he met up with her? Would his clothes look good enough, or was it too nice for such a casual event? How should he act when he sees her? Act as excited as he felt, or like the cool, calm guy he normally is?

His brain thought so many things at once that he didn't notice that his car was making a pathetic noise (like a raspberry) then (thunk) died. He pushed his foot on the gas and looked behind him through the rear-view mirror. When the car didn't move, it took him a moment to realize that his engine never flipped over. He turned the key again (raspberry, thunk) but the thing just wouldn't start working.

Gokudera let out a growl, then tried again (raspberry, thunk) but the damned engine wouldn't budge. He slammed his fist down on the wheel, but the cursed device honked when it made contact. A few people stared and gave him a glare, or maybe a word of disdain.

"What a day," he said, shaking his head. He got out of the car, slamming the door shut, and he began to walk down the street. He tried hailing a cab at first, but no amount of gestures (vile or not) and whistling actually did him any good. Gokudera let out an annoyed sigh. He knew that there was a bus stop nearby, so he took a left at the corner until he saw the stop ahead. An elderly couple and two giggling college girls all waited at the stop, but he paid them no mind, and simply waited for the bus.

At last, that rectangle piece of junk came lumbering by and stopped loudly, coming to a halt in front of the bus stop. The inside of the bus looked crowded, but he wasn't concerned. Busses just didn't fill up like that in this town. The elderly couple went on first, their hands intertwined. Gokudera hoped that one day he would be able to be like that with her. Just the thought made him feel a little breathless. The two girls went on next (because no matter what people said, he did actually have manners) and he came in last. When he reached the top he looked at to the bus driver, a burley Russian looking man who had a scowl all over his face.

"Pay," he said, his accent deep and heavy. Gokudera pulled out his wallet at took out the exact change. Once he placed his money into the meter, he turned to go sit down. But a hairy arm jutted in front of him, not allowing him to sit down.

"Bus full." the driver told Gokudera. The driver didn't even look at Gokudera, just stared ahead.

"The hell? There are seats right there." Gokudera pointed.

"Bus full." replied the driver.

"But I already paid, you asshole." Gokudera growled, his fingers itching.

"Bus full. You go now."

"I paid to ride this damn bus, you fat lug nut. I'm getting on this fucking bus," Gokudera said through clenched teeth.

"I call police." the driver threatened. He used his other arm to reach into his pocket and he pulled out a small cell phone.

"You call the fucking police, but you know what? I don't even wanna ride anymore." Gokudera yelled, and climbed off of the bus. He looked behind him to see that a few passengers stared at him, including the elderly couple from earlier. Of course they got on. God forbid that the Russians not take care of the elderly.

Gokudera figured he could make his way downtown and keep trying to catch a cab, but no matter how hard he flailed his arms and whistled, not a single one stopped for him. He felt a little insulted that none of the fat, schmucks would even look at him as they drove right on by.

With a growl and more curses, Gokudera decided to walk. Why couldn't he just buy a damn plane and fly to her? It's not like he cared that there was some stupid city ordinances that said he couldn't do that.

Shit, the great mafia gods decided today was the day to fuck with him. Today, after one of the most wonderful nights of his life, everything would just go wrong.

So as Gokudera walked against a sea of walkers, he seethed. He seethed over every time a foot would step on his foot, or when something would fly out at random and hit him in the face. He of course seethed over how often the horns would honk, when two drivers would yell at each other from their cars, and when people would walk slowly in front of him.

'Damn it... To think that the fucking city had to be busy out of all the days of the year,' Gokudera thought to himself, kicking at a piece of garbage on the sidewalk. He had a strange feeling that today would be very, very long.

* * *

He was late. Very late. So late, Haru had the sneaking suspicion that (*gasp*) had he stood her up! To think she had liked that man! She had thought that maybe, just maybe, he had liked her as much as she liked him. But apparently not. Why would she think that? Because he stood her up, plain and simple.

She wouldn't let that ruin her day though, so she sat at her table and ate her cake. The darn waiter had asked her several times if she was ready to leave yet, but Haru would insist that, no, she was waiting for someone. She swore, if she saw that boy rolled his eyes at her one more time, he would find some cake in a very uncomfortable place. Then she would make him eat the cake. Then... Oh, then make him run around with his underwear on his head! Hayato would certainly help her with that when he got here.

Wait, no. Hayato wasn't coming, because he jilted her. Her, Miura Haru. She wasn't one to toot her own horn, but she did seem to have enough good qualities to attract some nice men. Then again, Hayato was Hayato. He was the guy who took forever to realize that it wasn't Tsuna-san that she had a crush on, nor Yamamoto-san. It was Hayato that she liked all along. (She always did think she had good acting skills, just not that good.)

She sat there at her table just a little bit longer, even telling the waiter who asked her if she was done some rather un-ladylike things, but after ten more minutes passed, she gave up. Standing from her seat, she placed on the table how much she owed and walked out the door. When she got home, she knew for certain that she was going to crawl into bed with a carton of cookies and cream ice-cream. She would watch a little kid show, wonder why she was watching a little kid show to begin with, then decide that she was too lazy to lift up her arm and change the channel. Yes, that sounded perfect.

"Haru!" a voice called when she was halfway down the street. She was shocked to see that it was the man who stood her up running towards her.

"Hayato?"

He stopped in front of her and breathed heavily, sweating, and keeping himself up by placing his hands on his knees. He gasped for breath for a bit longer, then took a large gulp of hair as he stood up straight and looked at her.

"Damn, I really am out of shape." he gasped, whipping his forehead with his sleeve. Haru pulled out a handkerchief from her purse and handed it to him. "Thanks."

"Why are you sweating so much?" she asked, forgetting that she was supposed to be angry at him.

"My car broke down, so I figured I would catch a bus, But that asshole wouldn't let me on, even after I paid my fare! Dammit, I forgot to get his name. I can't report him now."

"What did you do after that?" she asked, wanting him to finish his story.

"I tried to catch a fucking taxi, but the all seemed to ignore me. That really pissed me of. I tried to take some kids bike-"

"Hayato!" Haru gasped.

"But the little bastard wouldn't give it to me." Gokudera continued. "So I had to run the whole way here."

"But the cafe isn't that for from your apartment..." Haru said quizzically.

"Well, it isn't. But then the old lady roped me into helping her carry her groceries back to her home across town."

"Awh." Haru giggled. "Such a gentleman." she teased. Gokudera gave her a look, but let her think whatever she wanted. "But what happened after that?"

Gokudera let out an agitated sigh. "Well, this group of punk thought I looked like an easy-kill, so they jumped me. Showed them a thing or two."

Haru giggled, then patted his back. "I get the point. You went through a lot to get here, didn't you?"

"You're damn right I did."

With another giggle, she stood up on her tippy toes and kissed his cheek. He stood there, dazed for a second, before he broke out into a grin.

"You wanna go to the park with me, Hayato?" Haru asked.

"You have nooo idea." he said as Haru grabbed his hand and pulled him to the park. They enjoyed the rest of their day together, and then ended the night with a kiss on the lips.


	7. Is Anybody Out There

Title: Tales of Maroon

Fandom: Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

Main Characters: GokuderaxHaru

Song: 'Is Anybody Out There' from the 'Coca-Cola 24-Hour Session'

Standard Disclaimer Applied

A/N (8-23-13) MAROON 5 MADE THIS SONG FOR COCA-COLA, AND IT'S FREE. YOU GOT THAT? THE LINK IS STILL ON MY PROFILE. GO GET THIS FREE SONG, AT LEAST IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT INTERESTS YOU!

* * *

I won't let anyone hurt you

And I'll stop them if they try to

Nobody knows you like I do, ba-by

And I don't care where you run to

Because I'm gonna find you

When the stars all align

We can try again

Is anybody out there?

Can anybody see?

Seems like everything's gone crazy

You're exactly what I wanted

And exactly what I need

Don't need anybody but my ba-by

So where did all your love go

You play me like a solo

Then you threw my broken heart away, yeah

I know that we can make it

And I know that you can feel me

So stop fooling around and just stay

Is anybody out there?

Can anybody see?

Seems like everything's gone crazy

You're exactly what I wanted

Exactly what I need

I don't need anybody but my

* * *

"Go left! Go left!" screamed Gokudera to his subordinate. The group of men followed his direction, loyal to the words that their higher up gave them. Gokudera swore underneath his breath, and he bit his tongue to hold back from saying those words out loud.

He was pissed. Angry. Ticked off. There were so many words to describe his anger, but the one that best fit the situation was enraged. He had been looking forward to today. Being at a Vongola cottage for the week with his wife, Haru, was the vacation he had been working towards for the entire year! But, as it so turns out, that was too much to ask for.

They had been ambushed by the Esposito Family upon arrival. When that happened, two things passed through Gokudera's' mind. 1.) licking their asses as soon as possible, and 2.) Get Haru safe. Number two was the first thing that he did, as he quickly ushered her inside the house. He lead her as quickly as he could to an underground room, built in case situations like this might occur.

"Hayato? What's going on?" Haru asked him as he pulled her along by the arm. "I thought you said no one knew we were coming."

"That's what we thought. I would to hate to think that the information that aniki gave us was wrong, but..."

"So it turns out to be..." she said softly. Gokudera stopped, and though the sound of shots could be heard in the distance, he closed that off from his mind.

"Don't worry, Haru." he said with conviction. "I'll take care of this, and we'll enjoy this week as we planned."

"Just don't get hurt," she requested, looking up at him. He felt his cocky smirk take place on his face.

"No way in hell those fucking bastards are gonna hurt me. You don't have anything to worry about, got it?"

She hesitantly looked at him but she still nodded. "Got it."

"Good. Now, I need you to go down those stairs, alright?" he said as he kissed her forehead and turned her towards a door that looked like it was apart of the wall, except for a small circle that looked more like a stain. He opened the door, and a set of wooden stairs led down. "Stay down there until someone comes to get you. Don't answer the door unless they say... Unless they say 'the storm won't last without spring'. You think you can remember that?"

"Are you sure you can be so sappy?" she teased, hoping to dispel some of the tension.

"Tch. It works, so yes. I'm sure I can be that smart. Now go." he said, pushing her through the door. When Haru was past the opening, he heard her steps go down the wooden stairs, and once the sound was gone, he closed and locked the door. Gokudera grabbed a stick of dynamite from his pocket, and his box weapon in the other.

"Time to kick some ass," he mumbled to himself as walked down the hall. As soon as he walked out of the cottage, he felt and heard a bullet that rushed past his head, barely missing him. With a one final sigh, he joined that battle.

* * *

"What do we do now, sir?" asked a new member, a young man of the age of twenty. He looked at Gokudera with wide eyes that had never seen a battle of this extent. Which was a bad thing, Gokudera thought, because this was a routine occurrence in the mafia world.

"They don't have many men left anymore. If we can get the remaining forces, which I'm guessing will be another twenty minutes at the least, then this will be over. I have a man guy for questions, so don't worry about leaving survivors" Gokudera said in a rush. The young man barely understood Gokudera, what with all the shots being fired and loud noises. The noise was not as loud as earlier, but it was still enough to make a conversational voice hard to hear, let alone quiet one.

Gokudera however heard every noise in that span of space. He even heard it when a feminine scream broke out from inside the cottage. He felt his heart clench, but his fist clenched tighter. He let out a ferocious scream, and without a second thought, he ran inside. He felt shots whistle past him, but the Mafia Gods decided to be kind to him for a moment.

When Gokudera reached to door hidden in the wall, he saw that it was already open. He flew downstairs, his feet carrying him faster than normal. It must have been adrenaline, he thought once he reached the bottom. Quickly he evaluated the situation, and found the reason behind the scream. An Esposito stood before Haru, his gun pointed at her head.

"About time you showed up, Storm Guardian." the man sneered. Gokudera felt his rage levels reach a dangerous high and he was close to losing any and all sanity. "I was starting to think you didn't care about your pretty little wife." he continued.

"What is it you want?" Gokudera asked, who worked to keep his voice calm.

"We want the Vongola to provide us with guns for 10,000 men. No question asked, just give them to us." the man demanded. He thrust the gun closer to Haru's' head.

"Gokudera," Haru spoke, her voice shaking. "Don't do it. Really."

"You think it's that easy, Haru?" Gokudera said, his voice monotones.

"Of course it is. You've done worse before. This should be... It should be nothing." she hiccuped.

Gokudera didn't say anything, his jaw set in anger. His glare could have frozen the devil, or made a grown man shriek like a baby. The man holding the gun began to realize what he had done, fear and regret slipping into his mindset.

"How about this, Esposito scum. You get that gun away from her head now, or I ram yours up your ass after I shoot you."

The man gulped. "You have no right to make demands here, Storm Guardian. I'm the one who is in control."

"Really, now?" Gokudera laughed bitterly. "Has anyone ever told you that the only thing the Vongola prides itself more then its tactics is its family? Haru is my wife, thus making her family. We don't take kindly to people hurting our family."

"That's just bullsh-"

A loud shot rang out in the tiny room, and the barrel of Gokudera's gun smoked. Haru screamed and covered her ears, and a body slumped over on top of her. Gokudera rushed forward to pushed the body off of, then bent down to Haru. She looked up at him, shaking like a leaf in the wind. Gokudera pulled her close, rocking her back and forth.

"Sssh. Sssh. It's alright, Haru." he whispered, holding her close. "I won't let anybody hurt you, and I'll stop them if they try to. I swear it."

Haru sniffed and moved in closer to Gokudera, clinging to him with all of her might.

"'Sir!" a voice yelled at the top of the stairs. "We've gotten rid of the Esposito family, sir. They've retreated."

"Good!" Gokudera answered. "Clean the mess up. I'll be there in a minute."

"Yes, sir!" the subordinate bsaid, then quickly left to carry out his task.

The small room was silent for a bit of time. Haru, holding onto Gokudera so tightly, and Gokudera doing his best to comfort her. Although Haru had seen violence before, it was never so close, and not once had she witness the killing of a man.

"I... I think I'm fine now." Haru eventually choked out, coughing to get rid of a strange tickle in her throat.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes. I'm fine," she said again, this time more firmly.

Gokudera examined her first, looking for any sign that she might break down at any moment. What he saw was satisfactory to his standards. He nodded then pulled her up with him. "I have to get things cleaned up, alright?" he asked her. He didn't even try to hide his concern.

She smiled up at him. It was calm, a strong contrast to how she was acting earlier.

"I'll be fine. I promise," she told him, grasping and squeezing her hand.

"... Do you remember what I just said, Haru?" he asked. She looked at him, one eyebrow raised. He took it that she didn't remember, or just wasn't listening.

"I told that man," he gestured to the body, " that I won't let anybody hurt you. I'll stop them if they try to Haru. You don't have to worry about things like this often, alright?" he repeated. She couldn't help but smile just a little.

"I know."

"You are mine after all. Gotta protect my property," he joked, kissing her forehead and walking away. She scoffed and pushed him forward.

"I'm your property? It's actually you who's wrapped around my finger."

He grinned as he climbed the stairs two at a time. She was right after all. He couldn't love a woman that wasn't as strong as her. That was why she couldn't be replaced, and no other woman could take her place. She was after all, the only thing he needed.

They closed the door, the body still laying on the ground.


	8. Goodnight Goodnight

Title: Tales of Maroon

Fandom: Reborn!

Characters: 5986

Song: 'Goodnight Goodnight' from the album 'It Won't Be Soon Before Long'

Standard Disclaimer Applied

A/N (8-23-13) EDITS: Since this chapter didn't need a lot of editing, I feel the use of CAPS LOCK is unnecessary.

* * *

You left me hanging from a thread we once swung from together

I've lick my wounds but I can't ever see them getting better

Something's gotta change

Things cannot stay the same

Her hair was pressed against her face, her eyes were red with anger

Enraged by things unsaid and empty beds and bad behavior

Something's gotta change

It must be rearranged, oh

I'm sorry, I did not mean to hurt my little girl

It's beyond me, I cannot carry the weight of the heavy world

So goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight

Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight

Goodnight, hope that things work out all right, yeah

Whoa

The room was silent as we all tried so hard to remember

The way it feels to be alive

The day that he first met her

Something's gotta change

Things cannot stay the same

You make me think of someone wonderful, but I can't place her

I wake up every morning wishing one more time to face her

Something's gotta change

It must be rearranged, oh

I'm sorry, I did not mean to hurt my little girl

It's beyond me, I cannot carry the weight of a heavy world

So goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight

Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight

Goodnight, hope that things work out all right

So much to love

So much to learn

But I won't be there to teach you, oh

I know I can be close

But I try my best to reach you

I'm so sorry, I did not mean to hurt my little girl

It's beyond me, I cannot carry the weight of a heavy world

So goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight

Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight

Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight

Goodnight, hope that things work out all right, yeah

Whoa, oh…

Yeah

* * *

Both were silent as she grabbed the suitcase out of the closet and threw it onto the bed. He leaned against the wall, gazing at her with a cigarette hanging from his mouth, and she threw whatever she found in her drawers into her suitcase. He was eerily calm when compared to her, his face set in a mask of no thought, while she looked so angry that her hands shook with rage and her nostrils flared.

Rain fell against the two windows of their, his, room, and the only light that they shared was the grey one through the very same windows. It seemed to be the only thing they could share at the moment, except maybe breathing the same unfiltered air.

"I don't see why you have to go," he said at last. She ignored him, now moving to the bathroom for the other things she needed. "You know we can fix this, right?"

She came back into the room with her arms carrying too many things. Her brush fell, and when she made no attempt to pick it up, he bent down and picked it up for her. When he offered it to her, she angrily grabbed it and threw it in to her suitcase, still keeping up her stony silence.

After dumping everything else into her case, she zipped her suitcase shut and carried it with her to the door. Gokudera followed close behind her, and when Haru opened the door to leave, he reached forward and shut it. She looked up at her, her lips in a thin line and her eyes livid. She spoke for the first time, her voice an angry whisper.

"Let me go," she said, her breath fanning against his face. That was something he was used to, her breath and his blending together with his as if were one person. That breath stirred not only his hair, but also his memories.

From the little teenager she once was, who found everything new even if he as used to it all, to the woman that she grew to be, who had a better understanding of things he thought he had a grasp on. But now she was a something else entirely, an angry beast who demanded to be set free and would no doubt bite him to death if she didn't get what she wanted.

"I don't want to do that though," he whispered. She scoffed and shook her head.

"Of course."

The ashes from his cigarette floated to the ground, and she sneered at him and them. She reached behind him to the door, in an attempt to move past him, but his own hand stopped her.

"Whatever I did, I'm sorry. Can't we just talk, Haru? Can't we fix this?" he pleaded.

She looked at him, her eyes far beyond that of a woman who wanted to fix things right now. When she said nothing, he slowly moved aside, and she walked out the door.

"I'm sorry," he said before she closed the door. "Hope that things work out all right."

The door sound of the door slamming shut echoed in the apartment.


	9. Infatuation

Title: Tales of Maroon Fandom: Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

Song: "Infatuation" from "The B-Side Collection"

Standard Disclaimer Applied

A/N (8-23-13) EDITS: GRAAAAH! MORE CAPS LOCK TO SHOW FRUSTRATION OVER HOW I WROTE WAY BACK WHEN! But now all of these old chapters are edited, so more are on the way!

* * *

Baby, I don't want to spend my life on trial

For something that I did not do

And maybe if you stopped and looked around some time

I wouldn't pass right by you

Maybe it's because you are so insecure

Maybe your plain don't care

Maybe it's the chase that really gets me off

I fall so when it's just not there

Burn another bridge, break another heart

Try again, it will only fall apart

Infatuation

Not seeing the rest of you is getting the best of me

It's such a shame that you shot me down

It would have been nice to be around

I'm touching your skin

If it's only a fantasy, then why is it killing me?

I guess this must be infatuation (I want it…)

Try to put my finger on what burns me up

It always seems to escape me

And when you have decided that you've had enough

Just tell me where I need to be

Now her face is something that I never had

To ever deal with before

She left me with the feeling that she'd had enough

And I'm the one wanting more

Burn another bridge, break another heart

Try again, it will only fall apart

Infatuation

Not seeing the rest of you is getting the best of me

It's such a shame that you shot me down

It would have been nice to be around

I'm touching your skin

If it's only a fantasy, then why is it killing me?

And I guess this must be infatuation (I want it…)

I'm so attracted to you

The feeling's mutual too

And I get scared the moment you leave

Get so hot I forget to breathe, yeah

Infatuation

Not seeing the rest of you is getting the best of me

It's such a shame that you shot me down

It would have been nice to be around

I'm touching your skin

If it's only a fantasy, then why is it killing me?

I guess this must be infatuation (I want it…)

Ooh (I want it…)

Ooh (I want it…)

Yeah… (I want it…)

* * *

Hayato Gokudera prided himself on the fact that if he could have any woman that he wanted, at least if he put some effort into it. He knew he had the whole"sultry-badass-bad-boy" image on his side, something that killed the ladies whenever they set his eyes on one of them. He knew it so well, that as he got older, he started to use this secret weapon of sorts to get what he wanted. You could call him a man-whore, but the things that he wanted often had to do with the mafia, and only every blue moon did he use it to get something that he wants.

As he got older, other things changed as well. He honestly didn't know how it happened, or perhaps he did, but Haru Miura changed right before his very eyes. From a strange, even weird, person to the odd woman she was now. She had a witty humor now, rather than stupid costumes, and in Gokudera's opinion, she had filled out in the right places. He would know.

His 24th summer had seen it all, many times over under the moon, and sometimes sun. But then fall came around, then winter, and then spring, and finally summer made a full circle. But while he was still enjoying their time, she seemed pleasantly content with calling it quits. She moved on almost as easily as a bee buzzing around, and acted as if nothing had ever really happened, while he acted like a dog stuck in a dry heat who had grown a liking to his former mate.

.

He would see her with other men, that flirty, almost impish, grin on her face, and he would become flustered and angry. Would he admit that he didn't like seeing her with other men? Yes. But did she ever take him seriously when he told her so? No.

"You're being silly, Hayato. You just want to get into my pants," she'd say with a wink and a wave of her hand, then walk away. He would watch her every step closely, then yell at the nearest person to vent his anger.

"Stop being a pansy, and go talk to her," Ryohei said to him one time.

"Tell me why you can't just sit her down and talk to her?" Yamamoto asked another.

Even his dear boss, Tsuna, could give not give him good advice. With that clueless smile, he would simply say, "Just tell her how you feel, Gokudera. I'm sure she'll understand."

As if that was true. He tried, in some sense, to explain to her that he had an infatuation with her, and that he would really like for her to not go around with other men and stay put next to him, or preferably, under him. She'd laugh it off, call him a silly-head, then walk away again, like the last day they spent together when he wanted more and she had had her fill.

It may be that she just didn't take him seriously when it came to a serious discussion about how he felt about her. They both knew about his past history, and they both knew that Gokudera could be a smooth talker when he was trying to get something. She must have thought that all Gokudera wanted from her was her body, when in actuality he wanted so much more from her. Sure, there were benefits to the way their relationship had been before, but not that wasn't enough to satisfy him. He wanted more, and she didn't believe him.

* * *

He was currently sitting in the Vongola Guardian room, a large room that the Vongola Boss used to call his guardians. It was their monthly "Family Gathering" as Tsuna liked to call it, mainly because he was a firm believer that to be strong they had to know each other. Hibari, however, rarely came and today was not an exception. Beside Gokudera sat Lambo, who had fallen asleep on top of his Chemistry homework and next to him Yamamoto who blinked his eyes to try and stay awake. Across from Lambo was Chrome, who absently picked at her nails and Ryohei to her left. When Tsuna entered the room, all five stood out of respect and sat down again when Tsuna waved them down.

"I see Hibari isn't here?" Tsuna noted, acting as if it was rare that he missed this kind of meeting.

"I sent the guy a message, but he told me to go bite myself," said Ryohei in his gruff voice. Yamamoto laughed, which was cut short by a big, loud yawn.

Tsuna smiled, the same smile as when they all were kids, then looked at Lambo. "Can one of you two wake Lambo up?"

"Why should we?" Gokudera asked. "If we wake him up, he'll start talking."

"But isn't that the point of these meeting, Gokudera?" Chrome asked, looking up from her nails.

"Gokudera is only being a piss-ant, Chrome. Just ignore him."

They ended waking up Lambo, then together they all talked about how their lives were fairing. Lambo was struggling with his Chemistry class, and when Gokudera asked how he got in that class anyway, he only said that he was smarter then he looked. That caused a laugh, and then Yamamoto shared that he couldn't sleep because his Jirou kept escaping from his box and waking him up throughout the night. Ryohei had had a rousing boxing match with Lussuria the other day, but he left when Lussuria started to talk about them going together to get their hair and nails done. Chrome didn't have anything very special to share, but she was thinking of adopting a pet soon.

"And you, Gokudera?" Tsuna asked.

Gokudera looked at his boss, his olive eyes looking particularly sharp. "I'm just fine, Boss."

Ryohei snorted, Yamamoto chuckled, Chrome grinned slightly, Lambo laughed loudly, and Tsuna looked at him sympathetically. The white elephant in the room was ignored, and they soon all left and made their way back to their respected areas. Gokudera, who was feeling restless, decided to instead roam the garden outside of the veranda, and it was there that he heard a giggle. A feminine giggle. He turned around the corner and there he saw Haru sitting and texting on her phone. He approached her, and seeing as how he didn't notice him, he spoke up.

"What's so funny?" he asked gruffly. Haru looked up, smiling at him.

"Just talking with a friend," she told him coyly, returning her gaze back to her phone.

Gokudera scowled. "What friend? You have friends?"

"Well, of course I have friends, silly," she said with a knowing smile. "Who else would I be talking with?"

"Another one of your boyfriends," Gokudera answered as he sat beside her with a huff, then pulled out a cigarette. Haru playfully jabbed his side.

"Oh, hush, you. I'm allowed to have male friends. You're one of them, plus Yamamoto, and Ryohei, and Tsuna too. Friends."

Gokudera did his best to hide the grimace. Haru saw it, and after quirking her eyebrows, asked;

"What's the matter Hayato?"

With his lips in a thing line, Gokudera looked at her and snapped "You're cruel."

"I don't see why you would think that," she said thoughtfully, even resting her elbow on his leg and leaned her face into her palm. Gokudera bit his tongue. "I mean, I don't think I've done anything mean to you."

Gokudera snorted. "If that isn't the biggest understatement ever, then I don't know what is," he said. Haru straightened her back and looked at him.

"Then, Hayato, tell me how I'm being mean. I treat you very nice considering how we used to treat each other."

"We used to treat each other like lovers, Haru," Gokudera said grimly. An sheepish expression crossed Haru's face.

"But, Hayato, that was a year ago."

"A year to you, but a very long eternity to me," he snapped. Haru laughed, then patted his leg and stood up.

"You're really silly, Hayato. You get funnier every time I see you." Gokudera stood with her, and was close on her heels when she began to walk away.

"Don't you walk away this time, woman. Can't you take anything I say seriously?" he seethed. She stopped and turned to him, and her face looked confused.

"What are you talking about, Hayato? Of course I take what you say seriously."

"No, you don't," he snapped. "Every time I say something, you pass it off as a joke. But when I say those things, Haru, I'm not joking."

She laughed, a sound like bells ringing. "Well, then how am I going to know when you're serious, Hayato? Tell me. When we were together, you never took anything seriously." She stepped close to him and tugged at his tie. "It was just for fun, alright? You need to start moving on, Hayato. If you wait around forever, then you just might miss out on someone special."

Instead of saying anything, he bent down and kissed her, his lips touching her with a zing. The softness, the heat, the electricity. It all came back flooding to him, those few memories he had forgotten from that summer, and something new emerged. He felt content. When he separated from her, she at first avoided his gaze, then suddenly she looked at him straight in the eyes.

"Stop it with the stupid game, Gokudera," she said, then stormed away. He stood there as he watched her walk away, silently cursing his damned reputation. He hardly noticed Ryohei and Chrome walking down the hall, he was so consumed by his own thoughts.

"Hurry up, Octopus-head. We got work to do!" Ryohei shouted as the two made their way closer to the storm guardian. Gokudera began messing with his tie, suddenly feeling like it was choking him.

"I know we do, lawn-head. Don't hassle me," he said, quickening his pace. "This damn tie won't go on right."

"It's just an informal luncheon with a few Boss's of other families. If you worry to much about how you look, they'll take it as an insult that you look better then them," Ryohei said impassively, as if his grey tweed suit saved him.

"But that doesn't mean that we can show up looking like slobs. We represent the Vongola family after all. We have to look presentable and angry," Gokudera explained.

"Angry? Don't you always look that way, Gokudera?" It was Yamamoto who said that as he stepped suddenly out of one of the hall passageways.

"Piss off, baseball-idiot," Gokudera barked. With an agitated growl he ripped the tie off.

"Someone's on that time of the month," Yamamoto snickered, him and Ryohei sharing a look and a laugh. Chrome sighed, and rolled her eyes at their joke.

Gokudera slapped the side of both of their heads, then told them to, "Fucking mature up,", but they continued to laugh with each anyway. Having enough, Gokudera walked away from the two with Chrome, but the two continued to follow.

"Did we hurt your feelings, Gokudera?" Ryohei teased and swiftly avoided the jab that Gokudera sent his way.

"I can't believe you two are adults, for gods sake," Gokudera said with a grimace. Chrome nodded her head in agreement.

With Ryohei and Yamamoto still chuckling, the four entered the pavilion, a rose and flower-bush filled area that boasted an array of mix and matched rot-iron tables that had spread all around. In the middles was a medium-sized table that was covered with small snacks and sweets. The people, around fifty in total, created a quiet hum of pleasant chatter that flowed to the ears of the four Vongola guardians. Yamamoto threw himself into the crowed, and a flood of people came to talk with the charismatic rain guardian. Ryohei moved to the snack table, no doubt to stuff his face, and Chrome drifted towards the fringes of the crowd. Gokudera looked around for Tsuna, his beloved Boss.

He eventually found him surrounded by a the-few more powerful bosses, with Kyoko beside him. The wife of the tenth boss smiled at him as Gokudera approached to group.

"Gokudera," Tsuna said, smiling when his right-hand man. "Gentlemen, please say hello to Gokudera."

The other Bosses nodded in acknowledgment.

"So you're the fiery storm guardian I've heard so much about," said one of them, a man who had a bushy mustache covering his lips. "I've heard you have a temper to be rivaled."

They all laughed at the statement, while Gokudera grinned politely.

"I only let my temper show if my family needs it," he said, and in the Mafia-world that could be seen as a thinly-veiled. The mustache-boss eyed him.

"Would your family be needed it anytime soon, son?" he asked.

"Not from I can tell," Gokudera answered, and the men all laughed again. Even though what Gokudera said had landed many men in hospitals and coffins, but the underlining knowledge of how strong the Vongola were saved him.

"Gokudera, why don't you get yourself a drink, then join us again," suggested Tsuna.

"You should try the little pink pastries, Gokudera. Haru and I found them to be the best," Kyoko told him.

Gokudera felt his jaw tightened just slightly, but he knew that anyone who was not in the family would not notice.

"I'll be sure to do that, ma'am," Gokudera said through tight lips. As he walked away, he was given a knowing look with sharp eyes from his Boss. With his own barely there nod, he confirmed what his Boss already knew. That things still weren't life in his life.

At the table, Gokudera did not pick the small pink cakes, but instead looked at everything with a sour expression. It wasn't that he didn't like sweets, but at the moment he just didn't have an appetite. But when he when saw Haru sitting with one of the guest, he felt like throwing up what little food was in his stomach.

She laughed at something the man had said, then leaned in and touched his arm. The man smiled broadly, like he had just won a great battle, but Gokudera felt like he was losing one. She used to smile at him like that. Then he would kiss her hand, she would giggle, and they wold disappear somewhere for the night. He wasn't about to let that happen with someone else, so ithout putting much thought into it, he walked to their table and sat down. Haru and the man looked at him, and he tried his best to look casual.

"Can I help you?" the man asked.

"Why, yes you can," said Gokudera, letting the sarcasm drip from his voice like honey. When he didn't say anything, Haru spoke up.

"Gokudera if you need anything-"

"Can I talk to you for a second Haru?" he suddenly blurted. Without giving her a chance to respond, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her away. "Thanks," he called to the man who now sat there looking slightly confused and annoyed.

Gokudera continued to lead Haru away, who didn't make a scene until they were far away from the gathering. She yanked her wrist from his grip, and stepped away from him.

"What was that, Hayato?" she asked, looking at him in disbelief. He reached for her hand again, and held tightly when she tried to pull it away.

"I didn't like what I saw," was his simple reply.

Haru closed her eyes and shook her head. When she opened them to look at him, they looked almost pitiful.

"Hayato, you really need to stop this," she told him.

"I'm not stopping anything, Haru. I've told you before. You infatuate and interest me. Just looking at you makes-... I don't even know how to describe it."

Haru laughed, a small noise that broke some of the tension. "The great Hayato Gokudera is speechless. Now isn't that something that doesn't happen often."

"Takes a very species person to make me speechless," he explained, inching just a little bit closer. If Haru notice, she didn't seem to show it.

"Gosh, that's a compliment. I'll treasure it always," Haru said wryly. An impish grin and playful eyes looked up at him. Those eyes sucked him in, even though he knew that she was teasing him.

"You can treasure many other things, too, if you want. You only need to say the word."

"What word?" she asked quizzically.

"Are you really playing games with me now, Haru?" he asked exasperatedly. "I don't care what word it is, just say something. Anything, really, and-"

"And you'll let me go...?" Haru finished, smiling widely. Gokudera stared at her open mouthed, and she poked at his chin. "If you leave your mouth hanging open, flies will think it's safe to play around in there."

He closed his mouth quickly, and stepped back away from her. She patted his chest and walked away.

"You have a lovely day, Hayato."

"I'll win you over soon or later, you know," he called. She looked back at him and smiled.

"I'm sure you'll try hard," she yelled back, then disappeared around the corner.

Gokudera stood there for a moment. Then with an air of confidence, he went and joined the rest. Haru was right, after all. He was going to try hard, and reminding her how amazing he could be. For now, however, he had to live with memories and dreams, but sooner or later he wouldn't be alone at night, but holding her close beside him, just like were she ought to be.


	10. Daylight

Title: Tales of Maroon

Fandom: Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

Main Characters: GokuderaxHaru

Song: "Daylight" from "Overexposed"

Standard Disclaimer Applied

A/N: Hello there! Gosh, I used to write a lot on this site. But I suddenly stopped, mostly due to the lack of motivation. But suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, an urge to write 5986 fanfiction hit me. But before I could do that, I needed to fix up some of the old things I had written. Which is why all chapters of "Tales of Maroon" have been updated! Now, I haven't written a fiction story in awhile, so please pardon my rusty story telling skills.

I'm going to be using the song "Daylight" for this chapter. It's from Maroon 5's fourth studio album, "Overexposed", and you might have heard it already since it was released as a single. Enjoy!

* * *

Here I am waiting

I'll have to leave soon

Why am I holding on?

We knew this day would come

We knew it all along

How did it come so fast?

This is our last night but it's late

And I'm trying not to sleep

Cause I know, when I wake, I will have to slip away

And when the daylight comes I'll have to go

But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close

Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own

But tonight I need to hold you so close

Oh-whoa, oh-whoa, oh-whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Oh-whoa, oh-whoa, oh-whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Here I am staring at your perfection

In my arms, so beautiful

The sky is getting bright, the stars are burning out

Somebody slow it down

This is way too hard, cause I know

When the sun comes up, I will leave

This is my last glance that will soon be memory

And when the daylight comes I'll have to go

But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close

Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own

But tonight I need to hold you so close

Oh-whoa, oh-whoa, oh-whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Oh-whoa, oh-whoa, oh-whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

I never want it to stop

Because I don't wanna start all over

Start all over

I was afraid of the dark

But now it's all that I want

All that I want, all that I want

And when the daylight comes I'll have to go

But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close

Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own

But tonight I need to hold you so close

And when the daylight comes I'll have to go

But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close

Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own

But tonight I need to hold you so close

Oh-whoa, oh-whoa, oh-whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Oh-whoa, oh-whoa, oh-whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Oh-whoa (yeah), oh-whoa (yeah), oh-whoa (yeah), oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh (yeah)

Oh-whoa (yeah), oh-whoa (yeah), oh-whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

* * *

The door opened with little resistance, and lavender was the first thing Gokudera smelled as he stepped into his home. The soft scent nearly overwhelmed him, not because it was a wretched smell, but rather because it had been so long since he last breathed it in. In fact, it had been nearly three months since he walked through that door, and nearly 91 days since he had last seen his wife.

"Gokudera?" a voice called from the dining room. He followed the sound, and when he made it to the room, he saw Haru sitting at the large table. Papers were strewn all around, and Haru's hand was poised over a checkbook. She didn't get up to greet him, but instead set her pen down and smiled brightly at him.

"It's time to pay the bills, I see," he said as he kissed her forehead and sat down beside her. His hand reaching out to hold hers. "You really shouldn't leave the door unlocked you know."

She gripped his hand tightly. "I don't have to worry about anyone breaking in, stupid. All those thugs know that there would be hell to pay if they so much as looked at the front door."

"That's true," he said while looking down at their joined hands. "It's still the thought of knowing that you'd be safe, I guess."

She laughed. "Hayato, that's silly. But, if it makes you feel better, I guess I can start making it a habit."

A comfortable silence followed her promise, and the two sat together for that precious and rare moment. Eventually, Haru was the one to speak up. "How was the trip?" she asked.

He sighed, at last letting go of her hand so that he could stand up. He answered her as he walked to the kitchen in search of a cup of coffee. "Fine, I guess. The other family didn't put up much of a fight physically, but they were fucking pricks when it came to negotiations." He scoffed. "By the way they acted, you would think that they had all of the power."

"But at least you weren't hurt," she said, returning to the bills in front of her. "That's better than the last time you had to leave for something like this."

Gokudera grunted in agreement, rubbing the rib that had been broken the last time he had been away. "But those other shitheads at least had enough sense to know that they were beat after we handed their asses to them." His attention was drawn to a pot of coffee on the counter, already hot and ready. He smiled at how prepared Haru was.

He heard Haru laugh in the other room, and the sound made his smile even broader. "Did anything interesting happen?" she asked.

"If you count Hibari leaving because a nest of Hibirds were hatching as interesting, then I guess so," he said. He returned with a steaming cup of coffee in a large mug, which he placed carefully down on top of the table.

Haru smiled as she signed another bill. "That's actually very sweet, and you know it."

Gokudera scoffed. "Sure. Except he got the call in the middle of the meeting and just left. The asshole didn't even ask the Tenth if he could leave."

"But were the birdies alright?"

Gokudera rolled his eyes. "Yes, they're fine. Those things wouldn't have the guts to not be okay, considering who Hibari is."

They sat there in the dining room for some time, each taking their time to tell the other all the things that had happened in the last three months. Haru informed Gokudera that I-Pin was moving in so that she would be closer to her school, and that Lambo demanded that he too be allowed live with Haru.

"Dumb cow better not break anything, or so help me," Gokudera mumbled. Haru grinned as she pushed away the papers around her then stretched her arms high above her head. Gokudera eyed her with a raised eyebrow, which sent Haru into a small fit of giggles.

"Stop looking at me, you weirdo," she said breathed, looking at him with an impish grin.

"You know, I haven't had the chance to look at a pretty lady in three months," Gokudera teased.

"So you've been looking at other women, huh?" Haru wrinkled her nose, then shook her head in mock disappointment.

Gokudera lightly kicked Haru's foot below the table. When she reached out to hit him on the shoulder in retaliation, Gokudera grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer. He looked at her intensely, and the look in his eyes caused Haru to blush lightly. However, Gokudera broke the moment by wiggling his eyebrows at her, which caused her to laugh yet again. When she at last managed to keep the laughter at bay, she looked at him, but this time she looked at him seriously.

"So, when do you have to leave again?" she asked.

Gokudera sighed. "Tomorrow." Haru's face fell. "We need to get things back to normal at Headquarters," he explained, all the while knowing that no explanation would make it any easier.

Haru was silent, her gaze unable to look at Gokudera.

"Hey," he said softly. "It's going to be alright. I won't be gone as long, and when I come back, I'll get to stay for awhile longer."

"You mean it," she asked, perking up slightly.

"Of course," he said, leaning forward to lightly peck her noise. He smiled at her, and eventually she smiled back.

"Well," she began as she stood up and began walking out of the dining room. "Since we don't have much time… Do you want to go upstairs?"

* * *

Gokudera looked out of the bedroom window and saw the first light of dawn peeking through the shades. Sitting up in bed, he slowly smoked the cigarette that hung from his lips. He lazily took one last breath of the cancer stick, then put it out in the ashtray he kept beside his bed.

He looked beside him where Haru lay, her sleeping form causing the sheets to rise and fall with each breath. She had snuggled close to his side before falling asleep, and her head rested lightly on his rib cage. His turned so that he now lay on his side, and with one arm wrapped around her, he gently combed his fingers through her hair.

He took in the sight of her beside him. Her hair fanned out against his arm, and her pert nose was pressed into his chest. Her eyelids would twitch as she dreamed, and her mouth hung open just in the slightest. She held her arms close to her chest in her sleep, but her legs were stretched out so that they tangled with his. She wasn't exactly the most of graceful sleeper, but then again, who actually looked good while they slept?

It was seeing her like this that broke his heart, even though he was almost positive that she was drooling on him. Leaving her behind whenever the family needed him made him almost hate his job sometimes. Even with the knowledge that the Tenth was having him do something important, and even while knowing that there were people whose lives depended on him, Gokudera had moments when he wanted to leave the Vongola.

He didn't dare tell this to anyone, especially Haru. Everyone was always under the impression that Gokudera would die for the Vongola famigilia, die for the Tenth. That might have even been true in the pase, but now he had someone who waited at home for him. Someone who managed to love him despite all of his shortcomings and fears.

He cut his musing shorts when he felt Haru move beside him. He looked at her as she took in a deep breath and stretched. Slowly she opened her eyes, blinking a few times until her vision cleared. She looked ahead to the window, then looked at him.

"Good morning," he said quietly.

She stretched her arms out so that she could wrap her arms around his waist. "Good morning".

They lay there together for a moment, for Haru was still busy trying to wake up and Gokudera wanted to give her all of the time that she needed.

"What time is it?" she asked him, moving so that she was closer to him.

Gokudera craned his head to see that the clock read 5:30. He told Haru, who made a dissatisfied noise. "I don't want you to leave," she murmured, her warm breath tickling Gokudera's skin.

He chuckled, squeezing her tightly against him. "I don't want to go either."

"Did you get much sleep last night?"

"Hm, not really."

"Why not?" she asked, pushing herself up with her elbows so that she could get a better look at him. Gokudera reached out his hand so that he could cradle her face within his hand.

"I don't get see you as often as I would like to, Haru. I'll have to leave soon, and sleeping is something I can do on a plane. I can't look at you when I'm flying."

"You could always call me," she suggested while she lay back down.

"You know I can't do that," he said quietly. "When I'm away, I need to stay focused on what's going on around me. Walking away from something for a minute to call you could result in someone dying, Haru. You know I can't take that risk."

"But you'll be at the Vongola headquarters. Why can't you call then?"

Gokudera was quiet, wondering why he had hadn't realized that sooner. The lack of sleep just might be affecting him after all. "That's a good point." Haru sat up again.

"How about Skype? Could we Skype?" she asked enthusiastically.

Gokudera pulled her back down to him. "Yes. We can Skype."

They talked to each other in soft whispers until the room was completely bathed in early morning light, but both ignored the fact that it was almost time for Gokudera to leave. But when the alarm from the clock went off, they could no longer hide from the fact that the sun had now risen.

"I should get up," he said.

"I would agree with that."

"I can't get up if you won't let go of me."

She snorted. "The same things applies to you."

"How about this… On the count of three, we both let go," Gokudera suggested.

"I could agree with that."

"Alright then," he said. He counted out 1, 2, and 3 out, but when he reached three, neither had moved. "Well, that didn't work out."

"No, it didn't," Haru chuckled. She took a deep breath, then pulled herself away from Gokudera. She moved until she sat at the edge of the bed, then looked at him.

"I'll go make a quick breakfast. You get ready, okay?"

Gokudera reached towards her, but she avoided him. Laying back down onto the bed with a huff he said, "Fine."

* * *

"Remember. You said that you at least would call," Haru said as she adjusted Gokudera's tie. "I can live without a Skype, but you have to call me. Are we clear?"

"Understood," he agreed, bending down so that he could kiss her cheek. "Let me know how the I-Pin and Lambo thing works out, won't you?"

Haru rolled her eyes. "Of course. Geesh, you'd think I was tightlipped with the way you treat me."

"I don't have any trouble getting you to open your moth," he teased. Haru swatted at him.

"Are you sure you want to fly in a suite? It looks awfully uncomfortable."

"Haru, I'll be fine. If I end up changing my mind, I'll get something from my suitcase."

Haru sighed, examining the bags the Gokudera had quickly packed. "I guess you're ready to go then."

"Not yet," he said, bending down so that he lifted her up in his arms. He hugged her tightly, and she tightly squeezed him. "It'll just be a month. Then I'll come back, and we can be settle into a routine for awhile. I promise."

Gokudera set Haru down, and she smiled at him. "I'll look forward to that."

After giving her one last kiss, Gokudera gathered all of his luggage. Haru opened the door, and without looking back, Gokudera walked out the door. She stood there and watched him leave until he had got in his car and drove away into the daylight.


End file.
